Aligning in-plane polarization multiplies piezoresponse in P(VDF-TrFE) films on graphite

Ferroelectric polymers are promising as piezoelectric sensors and devices for data storage, energy harvesting and fast energy storage. However, efficient electric polarization as well as piezoelectric and dielectric responses of as-deposited films are often much lower than expected in a crystalline...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:New journal of physics 2018-10, Vol.20 (10), p.103044
Main Authors: Roth, Robert, Koch, Martin, Schaab, Jakob, Lilienblum, Martin, Syrowatka, Frank, Band, Tino, Thurn-Albrecht, Thomas, Dörr, Kathrin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alignment
Data storage
domains
Electric dipoles
Electric fields
Electric polarization
Electronic devices
Energy harvesting
Energy storage
Ferroelectric domains
Ferroelectric materials
ferroelectric polymers
Ferroelectricity
Graphite
Linear polarization
mechanical force
Physics
Piezoelectricity
piezoresponse force microscopy
Surface roughness
Vinylidene
Vinylidene fluoride
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Summary:Ferroelectric polymers are promising as piezoelectric sensors and devices for data storage, energy harvesting and fast energy storage. However, efficient electric polarization as well as piezoelectric and dielectric responses of as-deposited films are often much lower than expected in a crystalline model, because the local orientations of electric dipoles show substantial disorder. Here we introduce an approach for in-plane alignment of the polarization based on applying soft mechanical pressure with a force microscopy tip. Micron-sized ferroelectric domains with well-defined in-plane and out-of-plane polarization orientation and low surface roughness have been written in poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE) films on graphite. Inside such domains, the piezoelectric response is more than four times that of the untreated film. The achieved polarization alignment can advance the performance of many devices, since it reduces the cancellation of local responses to electric fields or mechanical strains resulting from polarization disorder.
ISSN:1367-2630
1367-2630
DOI:10.1088/1367-2630/aae8b6