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Vise squad: Putting the squeeze on a crystal leads to novel electronics
May 11, 2009A clever materials science technique that uses a silicon crystal as a sort of nanoscale vise to squeeze another crystal into a more useful shape may launch a new class of electronic devices that remember their last state even after power is turned off. Computers that could switch on instantly without the time-consuming process of "booting" an operating system is just one of the possibilities, according to a new paper by a team of researchers spanning four universities, two federal laboratories and three corporate labs.*
Almost exactly two years ago, a team led by Joseph Woicik of NIST and several other federal, academic and industrial laboratories combined precision X-ray spectroscopy data from the NIST beamlines at the National Synchrotron Light Source with theoretical calculations to demonstrate that by carefully layering a thin film of strontium titanate onto a pure silicon crystal, they could distort the titanium compound into something it normally wasn't-a so-called "ferroelectric" compound that might serve as a fast, efficient medium for data storage.** The new paper adds a key experimental and technological demonstration-the ability to write, read, store and erase patterned bits of data in the strontium titanate film.
The breakthrough originated with researcher Hao Li of Motorola, Inc., who succeeded in depositing the metal oxide directly onto silicon with no intervening layer of silicon oxide producing "coherency" between the two crystal structures-the unique matching up perfectly of one atom to the next across the metal-oxide/Si interface. This is a difficult trick both because silicon is highly reactive to oxidation and because the crystal spacing of the two materials does not normally match. Guided by precision X-ray diffraction data from NIST, Li developed a finely controlled method of depositing the strontium titanate in stages, gradually building up layers that were only a few molecules thick. The result, X-ray data showed, was that the silicon atoms literally squeezed the cubic strontium-titanate crystal to make it fit, distorting it into an oblong shape. That distortion creates a structural instability in the film that makes the compound a ferroelectric.
While theoretical calculations and spectroscopic data demonstrated that the distorted crystal behaved like a ferroelectric, proof of the ferroelectric functionality waited on the new work led by Cornell University professor Darrell Schlom, whose team used a technique called piezoresponse force microscopy to write, read and erase polarized domains in the strontium titanate film.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Ferroelectric Current Events and Ferroelectric News RSSORNL finding could help electronics industry enter new phase
Electronic devices of the future could be smaller, faster, more powerful and consume less energy because of a discovery by researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Multiferroics -- making a switch the electric way
Multiferroics are materials in which unique combinations of electric and magnetic properties can simultaneously coexist.
'Instant on' computing
The ferroelectric materials found in today's "smart cards" used in subway, ATM and fuel cards soon may eliminate the time-consuming booting and rebooting of computer operating systems by providing an "instant-on" capability as well as preventing losses from power outages.
Domain Walls that Conduct Electricity
The logic and memory functions of future electronic devices could shrink dramatically - to one or two nanometers (billionths of a meter) instead of the many tens of nanometers that characterize today's most advanced elements - if a way can be found to control domain walls, the ultrathin transition zones that separate regions of a material having different magnetic, electric, or other properties.
Capture of nanomagnetic 'fingerprints' a boost for next-generation information storage media
In the race to develop the next generation of storage and recording media, a major hurdle has been the difficulty of studying the tiny magnetic structures that will serve as their building blocks.
Polymer electric storage, flexible and adaptable
The proliferation of solar, wind and even tidal electric generation and the rapid emergence of hybrid electric automobiles demands flexible and reliable methods of high-capacity electrical storage. Now a team of Penn State materials scientists is developing ferroelectric polymer-based capacitors that can deliver power more rapidly and are much lighter than conventional batteries.
Disorder enables extreme sensitivity in piezoelectric materials
A research team working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has found an explanation for the extreme sensitivity to mechanical pressure or voltage of a special class of solid materials called relaxors.
The solution to a 7-decade mystery is crystal-clear to FSU chemist
A Florida State University researcher has helped solve a scientific mystery that stumped chemists for nearly seven decades. In so doing, his team's findings may lead to the development of more-powerful computer memories and lasers.
Landmark Modeling Study at Penn Reveals How Ferroelectric Computer Memory Works
A collaboration of University of Pennsylvania chemists and engineers has performed multi-scale modeling of ferroelectric domain walls and provided a new theory of behavior for domain-wall motion, the "sliding wall" that separates ferroelectric domains and makes high-density ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM) possible.
Colluding with colloids: Scientists make liquid crystal discovery
What do milk, paint, ink and liquid crystals have in common? Colloids. Findings of Kent State University scientists indicate that manipulating the size of colloids, micron-sized or nanometer-sized particles, can produce huge changes in the material properties of liquid crystals.
More Ferroelectric Current Events and Ferroelectric News Articles
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Principles and Applications of Ferroelectrics and Related Materials (Oxford Classic Text in the Physical Sciences) by M. E. Lines (Author), A. M. Glass (Author) Standard text for studying ferroelectric and pyroelectric devices. Develops the modern theory of ferroelectricity in terms of soft modes and lattice dynamics, covering modern techniques of measurement such as x-ray, optic, and neutron scattering. First published in 1977. Softcover. |
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Ferroelectric Crystals by Franco Jona (Author), G. Shirane (Author) | |
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Physics of Ferroelectrics: A Modern Perspective (Topics in Applied Physics) by Karin M. Rabe (Author), Karin M. Rabe (Editor), Charles H. Ahn (Editor), Jean-Marc Triscone (Editor) During the past two decades, revolutionary breakthroughs have occurred in the understanding of ferroelectric materials, both from the perspective of theory and experiment. First principles approaches, including the Berry phase formulation of ferroelectricity, now allow accurate, quantitative predictions of material properties, and single crystalline thin films are now available for fundamental studies of these materials. In addition, the need for high dielectric constant insulators and nonvolatile memories in semiconductor applications has motivated a renaissance in the investigation of these materials. This book addresses the paradigmatic shifts in understanding brought about by these breakthroughs, including the consideration of novel fabrication methods of single crystalline... |
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Ferroelectric Polymers (Plastics Engineering, No 28) by Hari Singh Nalwa (Editor) Reflecting the explosion of information in the science of polar polymers--in both novel materials and industrial applications -- this outstanding reference covers the chemistry and physics of polymeric materials and their uses in the fields of electronics, photonics, and biomedical engineering. |
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Fatigue in Ferroelectric Ceramics and Related Issues (Springer Series in Materials Science, Volume 61) by Lupascu Doru C. (Author) A major barrier to the introduction of ferroelectric devices into mass markets remains their limited reliability due to fatigue. The underlying physical and chemical mechanisms of this material fatigue phenomenon are extremely complex, and the relevant influences range from single-point defects to macroscopic boundary conditions. This book summarizes the different aspects of fatigue in ferroelectrics. It is primarily concerned with bulk material effects. Mechanical, electrical, and physico-chemical processes are described; reference data are given for different loading regimes and boundary conditions; and various fatigue models are compared. The monograph also demonstrates how the results of acoustic emission and of microscopy studies reveal the microscopic origins of fatigue in... |
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Ferroelectrics in Microwave Devices, Circuits and Systems: Physics, Modeling, Fabrication and Measurements (Engineering Materials and Processes) by Spartak Gevorgian (Author) Today’s wireless communications and information systems are heavily based on microwave technology, as are an increasing number of other industry sectors. Extensive research has been carried out into the development of new technologies to meet the increasingly complex requirements of such systems. Among these new technologies agile (tuneable, reconfigurable, and adaptable) microwave components based on ferroelectric materials, have great potential and are already gaining ground. Ferroelectrics in Microwave Devices, Circuits and Systems is an introduction to the field. It explores the emergence of new functionalities and components with enhanced performance that can meet the agility and cost requirements of modern microwave-based systems. The book provides the reader with... |
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The Applications of Ferroelectric Polymers by J. M. Herbert (Author), T. T. Wand (Author), A. M. Glass (Author) | |
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Ferroelectrics, Vol. 1 (Stefan University Press Series on Frontiers in Science and Technology) by V. Stefan (Editor) This Volume contains in-depth presentations. |
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Nanoscale Phenomena in Ferroelectric Thin Films (Multifunctional Thin Film Series) by Seungbum Hong (Editor) Nanoscale Phenomena in Ferroelectric Thin Films presents the recent advances in the field of nanoscale science and engineering of ferroelectric thin films. It consists of two main parts: electrical characterization in nanoscale ferroelectric capacitor, and nano domain manipulation and visualization in ferroelectric materials. Well-known leading experts both in relevant academia and industry over the world (U.S., Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Korea) were invited to contribute to each chapter. The objectives of the book are to provide the reader with the information needed to 1.) build, see and manipulate domain structures; 2.) understand the unexplained macroscopic phenomena; and 3.) create ferroelectric thin film that shows novel and significantly improved physical, chemical... |
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Ferroelectric Devices, Second Edition by Kenji Uchino (Author) Discover a Strategy to Develop Bestselling Ferroelectric Devices Updating its bestselling predecessor, Ferroelectric Devices, Second Edition assesses the last decade of developments—and setbacks—in the commercialization of ferroelectricity. Field pioneer and esteemed author Uchino provides insight into why this relatively nascent and interdisciplinary process has failed so far without a systematic accumulation of fundamental knowledge regarding materials and device development. Filling the informational void, this collection of information reviews state-of-the-art research and development trends reflecting nano and optical technologies, environmental regulation, and alternative energy sources. Like the first edition, which became a standard... |
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