Finite element modeling of piezoresponse in nanostructured ferroelectric films

The converse piezoresponse measured by the surface displacement of ferroelectric islands, with lateral size changing from a nanoscale to a continuous film was modeled by using three-dimensional finite element method. It was shown that the piezodeformation of the islands results in a local deformation of a substrate in the vicinity of island. The piezoresponse of different size island capacitors with PbZr 0.5Ti 0.5O 3/SrTiO 3/Si and PbZr 0.2Ti 0.8O 3/SrTiO 3 heterostructures was also calculated. The patterning thin ferroelectric films into discrete islands was an effective way to release the constraint imposed by a substrate.