Aluminum oxide formation at Al/La(1-x)Sr(x)MnO3 interface: a computational study for resistance random access memory applications

Resistance random access memory (ReRAM) is emerging as a next-generation nonvolatile memory. One of the most promising materials for the ReRAM application is a composite of a reactive metal [such as aluminum (Al)] and a mixed-valance manganite [such as La(1-x)Ca(x)MnO3 (LCMO) and La(1-x)Sr(x)MnO3 (LSMO)]. One of the current hypotheses regarding the origin of the resistive switching of such systems is a voltage-controlled reversible formation of a high-resistance aluminum oxide (AlO(x)) layer at the Al/LC(S)MO interface through oxygen migration from LC(S)MO. To validate this hypothesis, quantum mechanics (density functional theory) calculations were carried out on an atomistic model of the resistive-switching phenomena at the Al/LSMO interface (the composite systems of Al/LSMO and AlO(x)/LSMO) as well as on the component materials such as Al, AlO(x), LaMnO3, LaMnO(3-delta), La(1-x)Sr(x)MnO3, and La(1-x)Sr(x)MnO(3-delta). The changes in the structure, energy, and electronic structure of these systems during the oxygen vacancy formation in LSMO, the oxygen migration through the Al/LSMO interface, and the AlO(x) formation were investigated.     

Giant sharp and persistent converse magnetoelectric effects in multiferroic epitaxial heterostructures

Magnetoelectric coupling between magnetic and electrical properties presents valuable degrees of freedom for applications. The two most promising scenarios are magnetic-field sensors that could replace low-temperature superconducting quantum interference devices, and electric-write magnetic-read memory devices that combine the best of ferroelectric and magnetic random-access memory. The former scenario requires magnetically induced continuous and reversible changes in electrical polarization. These are commonly observed, but the coupling constants thus obtained are invalid for data-storage applications, where the more difficult to achieve and rarely studied magnetic response to an electric field is required. Here, we demonstrate electrically induced giant, sharp and persistent magnetic changes (up to 2.3 x 10(-7) s m(-1)) at a single epitaxial interface in ferromagnetic 40 nm La(0.67)Sr(0.33)MnO(3) films on 0.5 mm ferroelectric BaTiO(3) substrates. X-ray diffraction confirms strain coupling via ferroelastic non-180( composite function) BaTiO(3) domains. Our findings are valid over a wide range of temperatures including room temperature, and should inspire further study with single epitaxial interfaces.     

Light-controlled molecular resistive switching ferroelectric heterojunction

Molecular ferroelectrics have attained significant advancement as a promising approach towards the development of next-generation non-volatile memory devices. Herein, the semiconducting-ferroelectric heterojunctions which is composed of molecular ferroelectrics (R)-(−)-3-hydroxlyquinuclidinium chloride together with organic charge transfer complex is reported. The molecular ferroelectric domain provides polarization and bistability while organic charge transfer phase allows photo-induced charge generation and transport for photovoltaic effect. By switching the direction of the polarization in the ferroelectric phase, the heterojunction-based devices show non-volatile resistive switching under external electric field and photocurrent/voltage induced by light excitation, stable fatigue properties and long retention time. Overall, the photovoltaic controlled resistive switching provides a new route for all-organic multiphase non-volatile memories.     

Research on a New Process of Preparation for Nano-SiO2 with High Activity and Mesopores

Nano-SiO_2 with high activity and mesopores was prepared through sol-gel synthesis followed by low-temperatureheat treatment and ball milling firstly in our experiments. TEM was performed to measure particle sizes. Nitrogenadsorption experiments were carried out to estimate specific surface area, porous distribution and porous ratio by BETand BJH methods. The content of Si-OH in SiO_2 surface was calculated by analysis of the results of hydrogen-oxygencontent mensuration (HOCM). As a result, appropriate heat treatment system and ball milling time are important topreparation for nano-SiO_2 with high activity and mesopores, which are 5～50 nm particles, 5～6 nm average aperture,85%～93% porous ratio, and 51%～55% Si-OH content in surface. Nano-SiO_2 with that structure has high surfaceenergy and activity. This process, which has simple facilities and operation rules, is a new way of preparation fornano-SiO_2 with high activity and mesopores.     

The Tb Doping Effect on the Room Temperature Magnetoresistance in (La1-xTbx)0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (x≤ 0.4)

by Tb in (La1-xTbx)0.67Sr0.33MnO3, the room temperature magnetoresistance △R/R0 drops at first, then undergoes an increase near x≈0.1, and finally drops again. The value of room temperature magnetoresistance at a field H=12 kOe for (La1-xTbx)0.67Sr0.33MnO3 is -3.56%. The enhancement of the room temperature magnetoresistance induced by an appropriate Tb substitution in (La1-xTbx)0.67Sr0.33MnO3 is correlated with the shifts of the Curie temperature and metal-insulator temperature to near room temperature. The drop of the room temperature magnetoresistance at large Tb doping-contents may be due to its lower TC and TMI far from the room temperature.     

Effects of porosity on electric fatigue behaviour in PLZT and PZT ferroelectric ceramics

Electric fatigue, namely the decay of the polarization and the consequent elastic strain with increased number of switching cycles under high a.c. field, severely limits the applications of ferroelectric and piezoelectric materials in high-strain electro-mechanical actuators and in thin films used in non-volatile memory devices. Electric fatigue tests have been conducted on lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) ferroelectric ceramics. It was found that electric fatigue can be initiated by various factors, the porosity being one of them. Electric fatigue occurred in low-density(93%–97%) PLZT 7/65/35 ceramics after 10⁴ switching cycles, while the high-density (>99%) PLZT specimens of the same composition did not fatigue after 10⁹ switching cycles. It was also observed that for PZT ceramics, fatigue proceeded much more slowly in the samples with higher density (～98%) than those with lower densities (92%–96%). A tentative explanation for the origin of the fatigue mechanism associated with porosity is proposed.     

Lattice Effect on the Transport Properties in Double Doped La2/3(Ca1-xSrx)1/3MnO3 Films

1. IntroductionThe manganese oxides REMnO3 (RE=trivalent rareearth elements) have the perovskite type structure. Ifthe trivalent rare earth element is partially doped withthe divalent alkaline earth element A (A=Ca, Sr, Ba,Pb), the doped manganese oxides RE1-yAyMnO3 haveexhibited a colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) effect[1~6],where the ions at A position affect the energy band widthand the transport characters of the RE1-yAyMnO3 ma-terials. While the Mn3+/Mn4+ ratio is fixed at 2,th…     

Microwave assisted hydrothermal synthesis and magnetocaloric properties of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 manganite

We report microwave assisted hydrothermal synthesis and magnetocaloric properties of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 manganite. The synthesized La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 nanoparticles was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and magnetization measurements. The XRD results indicated that La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 nanoparticles have polycrystalline nature with monoclinic structure. FE-SEM results suggested that La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 nanoparticles are assembled into rod like morphology. Magnetization measurements show that La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 nanoparticles exhibit transition temperature (Tc) above room temperature. The maximum magnetic entropy change (deltaS(M))max was found to be 0.52 J/kg K near Tc approximately 325 K at applied magnetc field of 20 kOe. This compound may considered as potential material for magnetic refrigeration near room temperature.     

La_(0.60)Sr_(0.40-x)K_xMnO_3系列材料的磁电阻效应

利用溶胶-凝胶法(sol-gel)制备了多晶类钙钛矿型稀土锰氧化物La0.60Sr0.40-xKxMnO3(x=0.00,0.15,0.20,0.30)。发现K+取代部分Sr2+后,可使样品的居里温度降至室温附近,并且使样品的室温磁电阻比替代前明显增大。在1.8T的磁场下,x=0.30的样品磁电阻峰值为21%,相应的峰值温度为304K。而母体La0.60Sr0.40MnO3的磁电阻峰值仅为6.4%,峰值温度为373K。可见K+离子替代使室温附近样品的庞磁电阻效应有了明显的改善。     

Comparative analysis for the crystalline and ferroelectric properties of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films deposited on metallic LaNiO3 and Pt electrodes

The crystalline quality and ferroelectricity of the Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃ (PZT) films deposited on the metallic LaNiO₃ (LNO) and Pt electrodes were comparatively analyzed to investigate the possibility for their application to non-volatile memory devices. LNO thin films were successfully deposited on various substrates by using r.f. magnetron sputtering even at a low temperature ranging from 250 to 500 °C, and the ferroelectric PZT thin films were spin-coated onto the LNO and Pt bottom electrodes. Metallic LNO thin films exhibited [100] orientation irrespective of the substrate species and PZT films coated onto LNO films had highly a- and c-axis orientations, while those with Pt bottom electrode were polycrystalline. PZT films with LNO bottom electrode had smaller grain size and larger dielectric constant compared to those grown on the Pt electrode. The ferroelectric thin films fabricated on LNO bottom electrode displayed an asymmetric D–E hysteresis loop, which was explained by the defect effects formed at the interface. Especially, the LNO/PZT/LNO capacitor was found to significantly improve the polarization fatigue and the effects of the LNO electrodes to the fatigue were discussed.     

Growth and observation of low-field giant magnetoresistance in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/ZnO superlattice structures

We report the growth of a new class of superlattice structure, consisting of alternate layers of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) and ZnO, which exhibits giant magnetoresistance at low fields. These superlattices were fabricated using a novel pulsed-laser deposition technique with a specially designed target assembly. Giant magnetoresistance of > 250% has been observed in these structures in current-in-plane configuration on the application of just -400 Gauss of magnetic field over the broad temperature range 15-200 K. Observation of giant magnetoresistance at such low magnetic fields is a groundbreaking step in the field of novel magnetic materials and devices.     

Pulsed laser deposition of epitaxial ferroelectric Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films on silicon substrates

We report on the epitaxial growth and electrical properties of Pb_0.52Zr_0.48TiO₃ (PZT) thin films deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) on SrTiO₃ (STO)-buffered Si(001). Previously to PZT growth, 40 nm-thick (La,Sr)MnO₃ (LSMO) layer was deposited to serve as electrical bottom electrode. The 200 nm-thick PZT film epitaxy was optimized by PLD on STO-buffered Si(001).The high contrast of stable artificially poled ferroelectric surfaces evidences the good ferroelectric properties of the PZT thin film. The structural as well as the physical properties of the PZT/LSMO/STO/Si(001) structure prove that very good quality layers have been obtained for films grown on silicon substrate.     

固体氧化物燃料电池复合掺杂材料研究进展

概述了中温固体氧化物燃料电池要件使用的新型复合掺杂材料研究及制备进展,采用差示扫描量热法（DSC）,热重法（TG）与变温度X射线衍射对La1-xSrxMn1-yCoyO3,La1-x-zSrxCaZmN1-YCoyO3复合掺杂钙钛矿结构氧化的固相烧结合成过程进行了研究,提出了一些将来应重点研究的问题。     

Tunnel junctions with multiferroic barriers

Multiferroics are singular materials that can exhibit simultaneously electric and magnetic orders. Some are ferroelectric and ferromagnetic and provide the opportunity to encode information in electric polarization and magnetization to obtain four logic states. However, such materials are rare and schemes allowing a simple electrical readout of these states have not been demonstrated in the same device. Here, we show that films of La(0.1)Bi(0.9)MnO(3) (LBMO) are ferromagnetic and ferroelectric, and retain both ferroic properties down to a thickness of 2 nm. We have integrated such ultrathin multiferroic films as barriers in spin-filter-type tunnel junctions that exploit the magnetic and ferroelectric degrees of freedom of LBMO. Whereas ferromagnetism permits read operations reminiscent of magnetic random access memories (MRAM), the electrical switching evokes a ferroelectric RAM write operation. Significantly, our device does not require the destructive ferroelectric readout, and therefore represents an advance over the original four-state memory concept based on multiferroics.     

One-dimensional nanostructures of ferroelectric perovskites

Nanorods, nanowires, and nanotubes of ferroelectric perovskites have recently been studied with increasing intensity due to their potential use in non-volatile ferroelectric random access memory, nano-electromechanical systems, energy-harvesting devices, advanced sensors, and in photocatalysis. This Review summarizes the current status of these 1D nanostructures and gives a critical overview of synthesis routes with emphasis on chemical methods. The ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of the 1D nanostructures are discussed and possible applications are highlighted. Finally, prospects for future research within this field are outlined.     

(La0.52Gd0.15)Sr0.33MnO3多晶颗粒的磁热效应

利用非晶态分子合金作前驱体,在相对低的热分解温度800℃、10h成功合成了钙钛矿结构(La0.52Gd0.15)Sr0.33MnO3多晶颗粒.TEM观察表明,颗粒的尺寸范围为100～150nm.研究了多晶颗粒(La0.52Gd0.15)Sr0.33MnO3的居里温度和磁熵变化(MCE).在多晶颗粒(La0.52Gd0.15)Sr0.33MnO3中,居里温度(343K)附近观察到较大的磁熵变和较宽的峰值温度范围,较大的磁熵变来源于磁场条件下的铁磁转变贡献.这些结果表明,该材料是室温附近磁制冷合适的工作物质.     

Thin-film ferroelectrics of PZT of sol-gel processing

The ferroelectric effect has been demonstrated for sol-gel derived lead zirconate titanate (PZT) (53/47) thin films. The respective values of coercive field and remanent polarization were 4x10(6) V/m and 0.36 C/m(2). The thin-film fabrication process is simple and compatible with Si planar technology, and offers a wide variety of potential uses for counting, memory, and integrated optical circuit applications.     

Ferroelectricity in highly ordered arrays of ultra-thin-walled Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 nanotubes composed of nanometer-sized perovskite crystallites

We report the first unambiguous ferroelectric properties of ultra-thin-walled Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 (PZT) nanotube arrays, each with 5 nm thick walls and outer diameters of 50 nm. Ferroelectric switching behavior with well-saturated hysteresis loops is observed in these ferroelectric PZT nanotubes with P r and E c values of about 1.5 microC cm (-2) and 86 kV cm (-1), respectively, for a maximum applied electric field of 400 kV cm (-1). These PZT nanotube arrays (10 (12) nanotubes cm (-2)) might provide a competitive approach toward the development of three-dimensional capacitors for the terabyte ferroelectric random access memory.     

SOFC阴极材料（La0.85Sr0.15）y（Mn1—zCrz）O3的物理性能和化学稳定性

采用烧结法制备阴极材料（Ｌａ０．８５Ｓｒ０．１５）ｙ（Ｍｎ－ｚＣｒｚ）（ｙ＝０．８５，１；ｚ＝０．１，０．２）。研究了多孔锰酸镧致密ＺｒＯ２（８ｍｏｌ％Ｙ２Ｏ３）界面的成分变化和显微形貌。     

Hydrothermal temperature effect on magnetoelectric coupling of Ni/Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 bilayers

Magnetoelectric (ME) Ni/Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃ bilayers have been prepared by hydrothermal method. The structure and ferroelectric properties of the Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃ (PZT) thin films prepared at various hydrothermal temperatures are characterized by X-ray diffraction and ferroelectric testing. With the hydrothermal temperature increasing the grain size of the PZT thin films gradually decreases leading to a gradual increase of the coercive field and a decrease of the remnant polarization of the Ni/PZT bilayers. The ME voltage coefficient of the Ni/PZT bilayers gradually decreases as hydrothermal temperature increases. The large ME coefficient makes these Ni/PZT bilayers possible for applications in multifunctional devices such as electromagnetic sensor, transducers and microwave devices.