Due to spatial constraints and small dimensions (<1 μm), the ferroelectric domain statics and dynamics in thin films can be significantly different from their bulk counterparts. Further, it has been recognized that electrode-film interfaces play a key role in the fatigue and retention phenomena in the thinfilms for ferroelectric memory applications, which are closely associated with barrier formation and charged defects trapped at various interfaces including the domain boundaries. Thus, it is imperative to utilize in-situ TEM to directly observe the domain switching at a length-scale which is essential (i.e. 1-10nm) for better understanding of the domain dynamics and their interactions with microstructure in thin filmferroelectrics.

We have successfully carried out in-situ TEM observations of domain dynamics in Pb(Zr.5Ti.5)O3 (PZT) thin films using PZT-based capacitor structures. The capacitors were produced by growing PZT layers (∼550 nm thick) on SrRuO3 bottom electrode layers (∼100 nm thick) on (001) SrTiO3 substrates using MOCVD. The top electrode consisted of an ∼200 nm silver layer.