Ferroelectric materials are multifunctional materials exhibiting large response to external mechanical, electrical and thermal fields. As devices are driven towards miniaturization and multifunctionality, ferroelectric thin films become increasingly important as a multifunctional means for actuation and sensing, non-volatile memories, and energy harvesting, integrated within micro and nano-electromechanical systems. However, ferroelectric thin films typically require a high-temperature processing step, incompatible with microelectronic component fabrication, required for the full miniaturization of the device and control units. This award supports the investigation of a novel, far-from-equilibrium processing method, enabling direct processing of ferroelectric materials on polymer and other flexible substrates. This processing method will enable fully integrated, miniaturized, multifunctional sensors and actuators, with a wide range of applications in healthcare (imaging pills, self-powered implanted sensors), automotive (vibration energy harvesting powered pressure sensors, accelerometers, thermal cameras), security (mm-sized autonomous robots), flexible electronics, and high-resolution conformal, peel-and-stick sensors.
The overarching goal of this work is to enable direct integration of ferroelectric thin films with CMOS-compatible and flexible substrates, through understanding of processing-structure-property relationships in ferroelectric thin films manufactured through far-from-equilibrium processing conditions. Such a processing method (specifically pulsed thermal processing, PTP) allows direct crystallization of perovskite thin films on polymeric and flexible substrates. It is expected that both the large concentration of defects arising from the very far-from-equilibrium processing conditions as well as minimal residual stresses in these electroceramic films processed on glass and polymeric substrates will significantly influence their ultimate functional response. The samples will be synthesized through chemical solution deposition and crystallized through PTP. Structural and microstructural characterization will be coupled with micro- and macroscopic functional response evaluation of the films. Understanding mesoscale processing-structure-property relationships will enable transformative new device applications, and pave the way for a fundamental understanding of the atomistic defect landscape correlation with the macroscopic response of these functional materials.
