In situ observation of ferroelectric 90°-domain switching in epitaxial Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films by synchrotron x-ray diffraction

Switching behavior of 90 degrees domains in epitaxial Pb(Zr0.32Ti0.68)O-3 thin films under applied bias voltage was investigated in situ using synchrotron x-ray diffraction, and contribution of the switching to ferroelectric P-E hysteresis curve could be estimated. The electric field in the region illuminated by x ray was made confined exactly normal to the film/substrate interface by patterning an isolated capacitor (1x1 mm(2)) and etching off the remainder in order to eliminate mechanical constraint from nonswitching region. The portion of polarization taken up by 90 degrees domain reversal was separated from 180 degrees domain switching after measuring the changes in relative intensity ratio of PZT (001) and (100) reflections, which exhibited hysteresis behavior depending on applied voltage. Within the experimental region of electric field up to 24 kV/mm, maximum 27.8% of 90 degrees domains were reoriented, which corresponds to similar to2% contribution to total polarization. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.