Ferroelectric nanotubes fabricated using nanowires as positive templates

The authors report on fabrication and electrical characterization of ferroelectric nanotubes and metal-ferroelectric-metal composite nanotubes using silicon and ZnO nanowires as positive templates. Nanotubes of high aspect ratio with a minimum inner diameter of about 100 nm and a length ranging from 0.5 mu m to a few microns have been obtained by magnetron sputtering and/or pulsed laser deposition. Metal-ferroelectric one-dimensional structures were characterized by piezoelectric scanning probe microscopy, showing piezoelectric hysteresis loops and ferroelectric switching. The presented fabrication approach can be used to fabricate three-dimensional capacitors for ferroelectric nonvolatile memories as well as nanosize piezoelectric scanners and actuators. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.