Work

A molecular ferroelectric thin film of imidazolium perchlorate on silicon

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Molecular ferroelectrics have garnered significant attention due to their structural tunability, low synthesis temperature, and high flexibility. Herein, we successfully synthesized imidazole perchlorate (ImClO4) single crystals and high-quality, highly-oriented thin films on Si substrates. These films demonstrated a high inverse piezoelectric coefficient of 55.7 pm/V. Two types of domain bands were observed: type-I bands tilted ~60° relative to the horizontal axis, and type-II bands positioned perpendicular to the horizontal axis. Under a + 20 V bias, type-I bands showed a reduction and detachment of 180° domain walls to form a needle-like domain. It extended toward the band boundary after applying −20 V bias, which grew along the boundary upon contact. In contrast, type-II bands showed straight domain wall motion and displayed a higher piezoresponse than type-I bands. The growth of high quality molecular ferroelectric thin films on Si substrates paves the way for the development of on-chip devices. Authors report the synthesis of a molecular ferroelectric thin film of imidazolium perchlorate on silicon, holding promise for advanced on-chip electronic devices. They reveal two types of domain wall dynamics with different piezoresponses.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52207-7