Ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) thin films on silicon substrates

Ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF/HFP) thin films were prepared through a solution coating approach on aluminum-coated silicon substrates. The crystalline phase and morphology of the obtained PVDF/HFP thin films strongly depended on the drying temperature for the spin-coated films and chemical additives. When magnesium nitrate hexahydrate (Mg(NO3)2 center dot 6H(2)O) was introduced into the solution precursor, dominant P phase, the desired ferroelectric phase, was formed in the thin films. Their ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties were investigated. The results indicate that our methods have overcome a critical barrier for integrating ferroelectric PVDF/HFP thin films for device applications. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.