NOVEL SWITCHING PHENOMENA IN FERROELECTRIC LANGMUIR-BLODGETT-FILMS

We have established ferroelectric switching and observed a novel condu ctance switching phenomenon in ferroelectric polymer films fabricated by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. The films consist of 10-30 monolay ers (ML) of a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride (70%) and trifluoroethy lene (30%), exhibiting a first-order ferroelectric phase transition at 70 degrees C and nearly rectangular ferroelectric and conductance hys teresis at 24 degrees C. Ferroelectric switching is accompanied by swi tching of the conductance by three orders of magnitude. A model descri bing this switching phenomenon is proposed. (C) 1995 American Institut e of Physics.