Time-dependent three-dimensional domain reverse mechanism in nucleation, growth, and breakdown of ferroelectric films

Abstract

A three-dimensional domain reversal and growth mechanism in ferroelectrics has been proposed based on domain shape evolution analysis, which can also be used to study the ferroelectric domain breakdown (FDB) phenomenon initialized by a high inhomogeneous electric field. It has been found that the aspect ratio of critical conic nucleus remained unchanged in the nucleation stage, and it abruptly decreased to an equilibrium value during the formation stage of the depolarization field, where ferroelectrics began to maintain a saturation domain radius. Consequently, the reverse domain would breakdown in a cylinder-shaped mode. Moreover, LiNbO 3 ferroelectrics were found to possess the lowest critical tip voltage to cause FDB compared with other ferroelectrics. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.