One-Step Mask Etching Strategy Toward Ordered Ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 Nanodot Arrays

In this report, ordered lead zirconate titanate Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) nanodot arrays were fabricated by an original one-step mask etching route. The one-step mask etching strategy is based on the patterned nanostructure of barrier layer (BL) at the bottom of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO), by a direct transfer of the nanopattern from BL to the pre-deposited PZT film, without introduction of any sacrifice layer and lithography. Therefore, the presented strategy is relatively simple and economical. X-ray diffraction and Raman analysis revealed that the as-prepared PZT was in a perovskite phase. Atomic and piezoresponse force microscopy indicated that the PZT nanodot arrays were with both good ordering and well-defined ferroelectric properties. Considering its universality on diverse substrates, the present method is a general approach to the high-quality ordered ferroelectric nanodot arrays, which is promising for applications in ultra-high density nonvolatile ferroelectric random access memories (NV-FRAM).