Patterning of ferroelectric nanodot arrays using a silicon nitride shadow mask

We grew well-ordered arrays of ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O-3 (PZT) nanodots on a SrRuO3/SrTiO3 substrate by pulsed laser deposition. A silicon nitride shadow mask with ordered holes was used for patterning of the PZT arrays. Each dot has a height of similar to 15 nm and a diameter of similar to 120 nm with a similar dome shape over a large area. The ferroelectric properties of individual PZT dots were investigated by piezoresponse force microscopy. A single dot could be polarized individually and the polarized state remained unrelaxed to similar to 20 min.