NANOSCALE INVESTIGATION OF FATIGUE EFFECTS IN PB(ZR,TI)O-3 FILMS

Scanning force microscopy has been used to perform a comparative nanos cale study of domain structures and switching behavior of Pb(ZrxTi1-x) O-3 (PZT) thin films integrated into heterostructures with different e lectrodes. The study revealed a significant difference between polariz ation state of as-deposited PZT films on RuO2 and Pt electrodes. The P ZT/RuO2 films exhibit polydomain crystallites and show almost symmetri c switching behavior, while the PZT/Pt films are mainly in a single po larity state and exhibit highly asymmetric piezoelectric hysteresis lo ops. Formation of unswitchable polarization within the grains of submi cron size as a result of fatigue process was directly observed. (C) 19 96 American Institute of Physics.