Novel switching phenomena in ferroelectric Langmuir-Blodgett films

Abstract

We have established ferroelectric switching and observed a novel conductance switching phenomenon in ferroelectric polymer films fabricated by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. The films consist of 10-30 monolayers (ML) of a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride (70%) and trifluoroethylene (30%), exhibiting a first-order ferroelectric phase transition at 70°C and nearly rectangular ferroelectric and conductance hysteresis at 24°C. Ferroelectric switching is accompanied by switching of the conductance by three orders of magnitude. A model describing this switching phenomenon is proposed.© 1995 American Institute of Physics.