ABSTRACT
Ferroelectric materials possess unique dielectric, piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and electro-optic properties, which make them suitable for applications in various microelectronic and micromechanical devices (Lines and Glass 1977). Owing to the sustained trend toward the miniaturization of electronic devices, ferroelectrics are mostly used nowadays in thin-œlm form (Dawber et al. 2005, Setter et al. 2006). In particular, the switching of spontaneous polarization in a ferroelectric œlm is employed in low-power and fast nonvolatile random access memories (FeRAMs) produced for smart cards (Scott 2000, Ishiwara and Okuyama 2004, Kohlstedt et al. 2005a). Owing to their high piezoelectric and pyroelectric responses, ferroelectric thin œlms are promising for applications in various sensors and actuators and as the heart of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) that combine Si-technology with the latest achievements in micromechanics (Scott 2007).
