In 1921, Joseph Valasek published the first paper on the ferroelectric behaviour in RochelleSalt: J. Valasek, Piezoelectric and allied phenomena in Rochelle salt, Phys. Rev., 17 (1921)475-481.
A ferroelectric material can be described as one in which there is a spontaneouspolarization which can be reoriented between two or more crystallographically defined statesby applied external electric field. In the following century, numerous ferroelectric materialshave been designed and developed to enable countless device advances. This includesdielectric capacitors, piezoelectric sensors and actuators, pyroelectric detectors, electrocaloricsolid state cooling, electro-optical devices and non-volatile memories, to name just a few. Please join us during a special session of the meeting for topical celebrations of the impact offerroelectrics on society, predictions of the next century of ferroelectricity, and a birthdaycelebration for this scientific milestone. The special presentations below will be given inhonour of this event.
100 Years of Ferroelectricity
Ferroelectric materials are now in widespread use in capacitors, piezoelectric devices, electrooptics, thermistors, and memory elements. This presentation will track the history of ferroelectricity from its inception through major milestones in finding ferroelectricity in a host of different crystal structures, understanding the link between crystal structure, domain structure, and properties. The contributions from many luminaries in the history of the field will be described.
The History of Dielectric and Ferroelectric Research in China
The research on dielectric and ferroelectric in China was started in the early 1950s by Prof. Jidan Chen in Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China, who is the pioneer and one of the major founders of the Chinese dielectric research field. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a group of visiting scientists and students from China began studying and researching in many western countries, especially in the United States and Europe, including United Kingdom, France, Germany, etc. In the following decades, more Chinese scientists, students and engineers visited, studied and worked in many universities, institutions and companies around the world. Some of them have played a very important role in the forefront and development of this field. At present, China has developed into almost the largest dielectrics and ferroelectric community, and has made great contributions to the field. Looking forward to the future, let us work together and strengthen cooperation to promote the further development of dielectric and ferroelectric research and application to meet the ultra-rapid development of modern science and technology.
Past and Future of Multi-layered Ceramics Capacitors (MLCCs)
After the discovery of barium titanate (BT) in 1940s, the BT-based MLCCs become indispensable electronic components in modern electronic circuits. The former part of this presentation will trace the history of BT-based MLCC with stressing on the usage of nickel internal electrodes, the role of rare earth dopants, the reliability issue and the size effect of BT. In the later parts, our latest results of the development of energy storage MLCCs base on the long rage ionic motion to generate huge polarization. We believe that the MLCC technology will be a key to prevent the global warming and the climate change in the future.
What Have Ferroelectrics Ever Done for Us?*
* With apologies to Monty Python:
Ferroelectric materials are at the heart of an exceptionally wide range of electrotechnical devices, across multiple market sectors. The scope of applications encompasses the ubiquity of capacitors and PIR sensors, through to the relative obscurity of, say, helicopter icing
detection. This diversity is due not only to the polarization’s sensitivity to multiple external variables, but also to its coupling to other material characteristics such as lattice strain, refractive index and magnetization, resulting in piezoelectric, electro-optic and magnetoelectric effects. A further characteristic that promotes exploitation is the variety of material forms through which ferroelectrics can deliver their properties, including single crystals, bulk ceramics, thick films/multilayers, thin films, polymers and composites.
This tutorial-style presentation will attempt to review exemplars of the most significant, interesting and entertaining applications of ferroelectric materials. Although a historically biased perspective is inevitable, the approach will be multi-faceted and will also feature new and emerging technologies. The talk will address device mechanisms, material figures of merit, relevant process technology, relative market size and how each application ranks on an arbitrary “cool” scale.
