title: Hot plate annealing at a low temperature of a thin ferroelectric P(VDF-TrFE) film with an improved crystalline structure for sensors and actuators.
abstract: Ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) copolymer 70/30 thin films are prepared by spin coating. The crystalline structure of these films is investigated by varying the annealing temperature from the ferroelectric phase to the paraelectric phase. A hot plate was used to produce a direct and an efficient annealing effect on the thin film. The dielectric, ferroelectric and pyroelectric properties of the P(VDF-TrFE) thin films are measured as a function of different annealing temperatures (80 to 140 °C). It was found that an annealing temperature of 100 °C (slightly above the Curie temperature, Tc) has induced a highly crystalline β phase with a rod-like crystal structure, as examined by X-ray. Such a crystal structure yields a high remanent polarization, Pr = 94 mC/m2, and pyroelectric constant, p = 24 μC/m2K. A higher annealing temperature exhibits an elongated needle-like crystal domain, resulting in a decrease in the crystalline structure and the functional electrical properties. This study revealed that highly crystalline P(VDF-TrFE) thin films could be induced at 100 °C by annealing the thin film with a simple and cheap method.
authors.affiliation: Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre, Department of Physics, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. rahmanismiel@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rahman Ismael
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Mahdi
authors.affiliation: Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre, Department of Physics, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. wcgan1981@gmail.com.
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.affiliation: Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre, Department of Physics, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. q3haliza@um.edu.my.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Abd Majid