Irreversible extinction of ferroelectric polarization in P(VDF-TrFE) thin films upon melting and recrystallization

We observed the irreversible extinction of ferroelectric polarization in spun coated poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) thin films upon melting and recrystallization. We investigate the alteration of the ferroelectric properties correlated with the preferred polymer crystal orientation with respect to the electrodes using grazing incident scattering, spectroscopy, and electron microscopes. Heat treatment above melting point gave rise to the significant reduction of the ferroelectric performance mainly caused by the modification of molecular orientation of polymer crystals whose c and b axes are perpendicular and parallel to the electrode surface, respectively, leading to almost zero effective electric field. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.