There are great expectations for the realization of next-generation ultra-low power memory and computing devices based on ferroelectrics (e.g., memory that consumes less than 1/100th of the current power consumption and brain computers, which are currently in the development stage). A deep understanding of nanoscale polarization inversion phenomena is essential to improve the reliability of these devices.
A research group led by Associate Professor Yoshiomi Hiranaga (RIEC) and Specially Appointed Professor Yasuo Cho (NICHe), in collaboration with a research group led by Professor Hiroshi Funakubo (Tokyo Institute of Technology), has developed a new microscopy technique that enables high-resolution observation of polarization reversal behavior in ferroelectrics with nanoscale spatial resolution and in a short time (1/300 of conventional methods). This is expected to advance our understanding of phenomena that hinder device reliability, such as polarization fatigue (degradation of material properties due to multiple polarization reversals), and to promote improvements in material properties based on this knowledge.
The results were published in ACS Applied Nano Materials on April 9, 2024.
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