Heterostructures of PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3/SrRuO3 were grown epitaxially, by pulsed-laser deposition, onto vicinal SrTiO3(001) substrates. The threading dislocations exhibited by the PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 films were investigated by means of cross-sectional and plan-view (high-resolution) transmission electron microscopy. It was found that many threading dislocations were dissociated into dipoles spanning a (probably Pb-rich) stacking fault. It was expected that these dislocations were able to pin 180° ferro-electric domains, as suggested by a comparison between piezo-force microscope and transmission electron micrographs obtained from identical samples. Local back-switching of the polarization was observed in the vicinity of such threading dislocations.

Threading Dislocations in Epitaxial Ferroelectric PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 Films and their Effect on Polarization Back-Switching. I.Vrejoiu, G.Le Rhun, N.D.Zakharov, D.Hesse, L.Pintilie, M.Alexe: Philosophical Magazine, 2006, 86[28], 4477-86