Ferroelectric Switching of Vinylidene and Trifluoroethylene Copolymer Thin Films on Au Electrodes Modified with Self-Assembled Monolayers

The ferroelectric switching characteristics of a vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene copolymer were significantly changed via the chemical modification of a gold electrode with an alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM). The alkanethiol SAM-Au electrode successfully suppressed the leakage current (dark current) from the electrode to the bulk ferroelectric. Smaller leakage currents led to the formation of an effective electric field in the bulk ferroelectric. At switching cycles ranging from 10 to 100 kHz, significant changes in the ferroelectric properties were observed. At 100 kHz, a remanent polarization (Pr) of 68 mC·m-² was measured, whereas a very small Pr value of 2.4 mC·m-² was measured for the sample without a SAM. The switching speed of the SAM-Au electrode is as twice as fast as that of the unmodified electrode. A large potential barrier was formed via the insertion of a SAM between the Au electrode and the ferroelectric, effectively changing the ferroelectric switching characteristics.