Study of ferroelectric nanocomposites based on P(VDF-TrFE) by scanning probe microscopy

Ceramic and polymer based nanocomponents combine the properties of their constituents, e.g. flexibility, elasticity, polymer reprocessability, hardness typical of glass, wear resistance and high light refraction index. This helps improving many properties of the materials in comparison with the source components. Since recently researchers have been manifesting interest to the properties of complex composite compounds. This is primarily caused by the unique properties of their structures as compared with conventional materials having homogeneous composition. Secondly, this interest is caused by the fact that these compounds may prove to be much cheaper than homogeneous structures provided the physical properties of the composite in a preset range of parameters (temperature, applied field frequency etc.) are identical to those of the respective homogeneous materials. For example, polyvinyl idenfluoride (PVDF) type ferroelectric polymers and copolymers on its basis have found wide application for functional elements of various electromechanic devices in advanced electronics due to their relatively good piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties. The strong random polarization and the formation of polar non-centrosymmetric crystals provide for the high piezoelectric and pyroelectric activity in these crystals. Scanning probe microscopy has been used for study of ferroelectric nanocomposites having different compositions. The matrix specimen for study of local polarization switching at a nanoscale level was vinyl idenfluoride and trifluoroethylene P(VDF-TrFE) copolymer possessing sufficiently high crystallinity. The composite fillers were barium titanate BaTiO₃ and deuterized triglycinsulfate DTGS ferroelectric powders and zirconate-titanate lead barium BPZT ceramic powder. We show these materials to show good promise for use in memory cells.

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