Room Temperature Growth of Organic Ferroelectric Croconic Acid Thin Films

RM 216

In material science, ferroelectric materials have demonstrated diverse applications to non-volatile memory, energy harvesting, and optics. Currently, there is a higher demand for organic ferroelectrics due to their greater efficiency and economic scalable production. In order to access feasible alternatives for current inorganic ferroelectrics, the fabrication of organic ferroelectric thin films is essential. One promising material is croconic acid, which has a relatively large ferroelectric polarization. Thin films of croconic acid can be prepared via thermal vapor depositions, where the bulk material is evaporated in an ultra-high vacuum system onto a substrate. Here, we present results on room temperature growth of crononic acid films using this method. The films were prepared on various substrates and the thickness and quality were measured using the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM).