Pyroelectric nano-rods grown inside alumina nano-pores

This paper reports the formation and properties of nano-composite pyroelectric thin films. They consist of pyroelectric triglycine sulfate (TGS) single-crystal nano-rods grown inside a highly dense array of alumina pores about 65 nm, diameter and density of 1011 cm(-2)). The nucleation and growth of the TGS single crystals are obtained by precipitation from a supersaturated aqueous solution. Nucleation is preferred only at the bottom of the,pores due to a tight control of temperature, composition and pore diameter. Growth of single crystals with. preferred crystallographic. orientation is obtained with the aid of an applied electric field. Various crystallographic orientations (10 0) (- 1.10) (- 12 0) are obtained separately as a single preferred orientation by changing the amplitude of the electric field during crystal growth. The films exhibit ferroelectric behavior. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.