TY - JOUR A1 - Waegner, M. A1 - Schröder, M. A1 - Suchaneck, G. A1 - Sturm, Heinz A1 - Weimann, Christiane A1 - Eng, L.M. A1 - Gerlach, G. T1 - Enhanced piezoelectric response in nano-patterned lead zirconate titanate thin films JF - Japanese journal of applied physics N2 - In this work, Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films were used to fabricate well-ordered nanodot arrays by means of nanosphere lithography. This technique is based on a two-step etch process that enables excellent control of the fabrication of ordered nanodisc arrays of defined height, diameter, and pitch. Piezoresponse force microscopy was used to investigate both non-patterned and patterned films. The topography and both the out-of-plane and the in-plane polarization were deduced in this mode. Grains of nanodots with a low aspect ratio form domain structures comparable to domains in non-patterned two-dimensional films. In contrast, nanodots with a higher aspect ratio form particular structures like bi-sectioned domain assemblies, c-shaped domains or multi-domains surrounding a center domain. The patterning of the ferroelectric material was shown to affect the formation of ferroelectric domains. The initial polycrystalline films with random polarization orientation re-orient upon patterning and then show domain structures dependent on the nanodisc diameter and aspect ratio. PY - 2012 DO - https://doi.org/10.1143/JJAP.51.11PG04 SN - 0021-4922 VL - 51 SP - 11PG04-1 - 11PG04-5 CY - Tokyo AN - OPUS4-27697 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -