Intrinsic anomalous ferroelectricity in vertically aligned LiNbO3-type ZnSnO3 hybrid nanoparticle-nanowire arrays

摘要

An intrinsically constricted ferroelectric (FE) hysteresis behavior with a high remanent polarization of ≈26 μC/cm is reported from LiNbO-type (LN-type) ZnSnO hybrid nanoparticle-nanowire (NP-NW) arrayed film. Vertically aligned and densely packed LN-type ZnSnO hybrid NP-NW arrays are synthesized using ZnO:Al seed-layer assisted process by a physical/chemical combined methodology. Post-annealing treatments and repeated poling measurements reinstate that the constricted FE loop in LN-type ZnSnO is an inherent feature of the hybrid NP-NW structure. This is also exemplified by the noticeable increase in the degree of constriction with higher NP concentration in the sample. A close fit to the experimental data was obtained with the Preisach model of FE hysteresis confirming a unique charge-ordering mechanism which was ascribed to the interaction of the NPs with each other and the surrounding FE ZnSnO NWs. The work provides a comprehensible understanding of the microstructure-property relationships in emerging Pb-free, LN-type ZnSnO FE material.