Back to Search Start Over

Superior Piezo-/Ferro-Electricity in Antiferroelectric Ag x NbO 3-δ Thin Films by Nanopillar Local Structure Design.

Superior Piezo-/Ferro-Electricity in Antiferroelectric Ag x NbO 3-δ Thin Films by Nanopillar Local Structure Design.

Authors :
Sun P
Liu YJ
Huo C
Qi H
Liu C
Diéguez O
Wu L
Liu S
Zhu Y
Deng S
Chen J
Source :
ACS applied materials & interfaces [ACS Appl Mater Interfaces] 2024 Oct 09; Vol. 16 (40), pp. 54359-54366. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Sep 26.
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

Antiferroelectrics are fundamental mother compounds critical in developing innovative lead-free piezoelectrics and ferroelectrics and hold great promise for wide-ranging applications in energy conversion and electronic devices. However, harnessing their superior properties presents a significant challenge due to the delicate balance required between their various states. In this study, through the unique design of nanopillar structures to alleviate the local polar heterogeneity, we have achieved significantly improved piezo-/ferro-electricity in classic lead-free antiferroelectric Ag <subscript> x </subscript> NbO <subscript>3-δ</subscript> ( x = 1, 0.9, and 0.8) epitaxial thin films. The effective piezoelectric coefficient reaches 440 pm V <superscript>-1</superscript> , 1 order of magnitude larger than the stoichiometric AgNbO <subscript>3</subscript> , rivaling classic lead zirconate titanate piezoelectrics. Atomic-scale electron microscopy investigations unravel the underlying mechanisms. The nanopillars, characterized by antisite occupancy of both Ag and Nb atoms and forming out-of-phase boundaries with the matrix, reduce the local crystal symmetry via interphase strain. This leads to the creation of flexible multinanodomain structures that significantly facilitate polarization rotation, thus substantially enhancing the piezoelectric performance. This study demonstrates the feasibility of engineering local heterogeneity through nanopillar design, offering a generally applicable method for property improvement of a wide range of antiferroelectrics.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1944-8252
Volume :
16
Issue :
40
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
ACS applied materials & interfaces
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
39324784
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c08183