The temperature dependence of ferroelectric imprint

Unidirectional voltage pulse stressing can induce a significant amount of asymmetry in the retention characteristics in certain LSCO/PLZT/LSCO thin films. A large asymmetry was developed within 1000 s of unidirectional pulsing with a 100-Hz (50% duty cycle) square wave at 125 degrees C while no significant retention asymmetry was developed at 25 degrees C in the same time frame. The change in respective switched and non-switched polarizations after voltage pulse stressing follow an Arrhenius behavior. The thermal activation energies (E(a)) derived from the Arrhenius plots are E(a) = 0.21 eV for the change in switched polarization and an E(a) = 0.56 eV for the change in non-switched polarization.