Epitaxial growth of magnetic-oxide thin films

In this chapter we review recent developments and major classes of phenomena in epitaxial magnetic-oxide thin films. As part of this we highlight major classes of magnetic oxides and types of magnetism common in these materials, explore thin-film phenomena including strain and size effects, investigate superlattice and multilayer structures and coupling, discuss common measurement techniques for magnetic-oxide thin films, introduce a number of devices and applications based on these materials, and provide some brief thoughts on future directions in the field

Epitaxial growth of magnetic-oxide thin films

In this chapter we review recent developments and major classes of phenomena in epitaxial magnetic-oxide thin films. As part of this we highlight major classes of magnetic oxides and types of magnetism common in these materials, explore thin-film phenomena including strain and size effects, investigate superlattice and multilayer structures and coupling, discuss common measurement techniques for magnetic-oxide thin films, introduce a number of devices and applications based on these materials, and provide some brief thoughts on future directions in the field

Pyroelectric electron emission from a thin film of PbZrxTi 1-xO3 on a nanofabricated cathode

We report pyroelectric emission from thin films of crystalline PbZr 0.8Ti0.2O3 (PZT) on nanometer-sharp tips. The epitaxial PZT films are 30 nm thick and grown directly on batch fabricated single-crystal silicon tips. Pyroelectric emission occurs for heating rates ≥ 50 °C/min in a 20 V/μm external field, and for electric field strengths ≥ 6.7 V/μm when heated at 100 °C/min. The emitted electric charge is reasonable when compared to the theoretical maximum charge for this PZT film and these testing parameters. We calculate that a heating rate of 4.0×10 7 °C/min is necessary for unassisted pyroelectric emission. © 2013 IEEE

Pyroelectric electron emission from a thin film of PbZrxTi 1-xO3 on a nanofabricated cathode

We report pyroelectric emission from thin films of crystalline PbZr 0.8Ti0.2O3 (PZT) on nanometer-sharp tips. The epitaxial PZT films are 30 nm thick and grown directly on batch fabricated single-crystal silicon tips. Pyroelectric emission occurs for heating rates ≥ 50 °C/min in a 20 V/μm external field, and for electric field strengths ≥ 6.7 V/μm when heated at 100 °C/min. The emitted electric charge is reasonable when compared to the theoretical maximum charge for this PZT film and these testing parameters. We calculate that a heating rate of 4.0×10 7 °C/min is necessary for unassisted pyroelectric emission. © 2013 IEEE

Improved pyroelectric figures of merit in compositionally graded PbZr1-xTixO3 thin films.

Pyroelectric materials have been widely used for a range of thermal-related applications including thermal imaging/sensing, waste heat energy conversion, and electron emission. In general, the figures of merit for applications of pyroelectric materials are proportional to the pyroelectric coefficient and inversely proportional to the dielectric permittivity. In this context, we explore single-layer and compositionally graded PbZr1-xTixO3 thin-film heterostructures as a way to independently engineer the pyroelectric coefficient and dielectric permittivity of materials and increase overall performance. Compositional gradients in thin films are found to produce large strain gradients which generate large built-in potentials in the films that can reduce the permittivity while maintaining large pyroelectric response. Routes to enhance the figures of merit of pyroelectric materials by 3-12 times are reported, and comparisons to standard materials are made