# US 2014/0152377 A1 · Ferroelectric nanoshell devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0152377 A1 - Document ID: US20140152377A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/176,315 - Filed: 2014-02-10 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-02 - Assignees: Drexel University - Applicants: Drexel University - Inventors: Jonathan E. Spanier; Stephen S. Nonnenmann; Oren David Leaffer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140152377A1 ## CPC - H05K 5/0091: {Housing specially adapted for small components (for resistors H01C; for capacitors H01G; for integrated circuits H10W99/00)} - B82Y 10/00: Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic - H01G 4/005: Electrodes - H01G 4/008: Selection of materials - H01G 4/1209: {characterised by the ceramic dielectric material (H01G4/1272, H01G4/1281 take precedence)} - H01G 4/33: Thin- or thick-film capacitors {(thin- or thick-film circuits; capacitors without a potential-jump or surface barrier specially adapted for integrated circuits, details thereof, multistep manufacturing processes therefor)} - H10D 1/68: Capacitors having no potential barriers - H10D 30/43: having one-dimensional [1D] charge carrier gas channels, e.g. quantum wire FETs or transistors having 1D quantum-confined channels - H10D 30/701: {IGFETs having ferroelectric gate insulators, e.g. ferroelectric FETs} - H10D 48/383: {Quantum effect devices, e.g. of devices using quantum reflection, diffraction or interference effects} - H10D 62/118: {Nanostructure semiconductor bodies} - H10D 62/121: {oriented parallel to substrates} - H10D 62/123: {comprising junctions} - H10D 89/211: {Design considerations for internal polarisation (integrated injection logic H10D84/65)} - H10N 50/80: Constructional details - H10D 30/0415: {of FETs having ferroelectric gate insulators} - H10D 64/033: {comprising ferroelectric layers} - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES - H01G: CAPACITORS; CAPACITORS, RECTIFIERS, DETECTORS, SWITCHING DEVICES, LIGHT-SENSITIVE OR TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE DEVICES OF THE ELECTROLYTIC TYPE (selection of specified materials as dielectric H01B3/00; capacitors having potential barriers H10D1/62, H10K10/10) - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Disclosed herein are nanoscale devices comprising one or more ferroelectric nanoshells characterized as having an extreme curvature in at least one spatial dimension. Also disclosed are ferroelectric field effect transistors and metal ferroelectric metal capacitors comprising one or more ferroelectric nanoshells. Methods for controlling spontaneous ferroelectric polarization in nanoshell devices are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling spontaneous ferroelectric polarization in a nanoshell device comprising: applying a voltage via one or more electrodes to switch the spontaneous ferroelectric polarization of a nanoshell device, the nanoshell device comprising an inner nanoshell surface having a radius of curvature in the range of from about 3 nm to about 300 nm, an outer nanoshell surface having a radius of curvature in the range of from about 5 nm to about 500 nm, a thickness between said inner nanoshell surface and said outer nanoshell surface in the range of from greater than about 1 nm to less than about 100 nm, and wherein the ferroelectric nanoshell is characterized as being ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, or both. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the nanoshell comprises a ferroelectric material comprising a semiconducting ferroelectric, an organic ferroelectric, a polymer ferroelectric or a metal oxide represented by the formula: ABO3 Or A1-xA′xB1-yB′yO3 wherein A and A′ represents any element in the lanthanide, alkaline earth, or alkali metal groups and B and B′ represents a transition metal, and wherein x is in the range of from about 0 to about 1, and y is in the range of from about 0 to about 1. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the nanoshell further comprises one or more alternating layers comprising a semiconducting ferroelectric, an organic ferroelectric, a polymer ferroelectric or an oxide composition of the formula: ABO3 Or A1-xA′xB1-yB′yO3 or any combination thereof, and wherein the ferroelectric nanoshell composition is characterized as being ferromagnetic, ferroelectric, or both. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more electrodes comprises a noble metal, a transition metal, a transition metal alloy, a non-ferroic perovskite oxide or any combination thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein the method is used in a ferroelectric field effect transistor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein the method is used in a metal ferroelectric metal capacitor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The ferroelectric field effect transistor of claim 5 wherein the nanoshell is in the shape of a cylinder. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The metal ferroelectric metal capacitor of claim 6 wherein the nanoshell is in the shape of a cylinder. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The ferroelectric field effect transistor of claim 5 wherein the nanoshell is a non-cylindrical tube. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The metal ferroelectric metal capacitor of claim 6 wherein the nanoshell is in the shape of a non-cylindrical tube. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The metal ferroelectric metal capacitor of claim 6 wherein the nanoshell is in the shape of a nanodot. ### Claim 12 A nanoscale device, comprising: one or more electrodes; and one or more nanoshells comprising a ferroelectric material, the one or more nanoshells being characterized as comprising: an inner nanoshell; and an outer nanoshell surface having a radius of curvature in the range of from about 5 nm to about 500 nm, the thickness between said inner nanoshell surface and said outer nanoshell surface being in the range of from greater than about 1 nm to less than about 100 nm; and wherein the ferroelectric material is characterized as being ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, or both. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The nanoscale device of claim 12, wherein the ferroelectric material comprises a semiconducting ferroelectric, an organic ferroelectric, a polymer ferroelectric or a metal oxide represented by the formula: ABO3 Or A1-xA′xB1-yB′yO3 wherein A and A′ represents any element in the lanthanide, alkaline earth, or alkali metal groups and B and B′ represents a transition metal, and wherein x is in the range of from about 0 to about 1, and y is in the range of from about 0 to about 1. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The nanoscale device of claim 13, wherein the nanoshell further comprises one or more alternating layers comprising a semiconducting ferroelectric, an organic ferroelectric, a polymer ferroelectric or an oxide composition of the formula: ABO3 Or A1-xA′xB1-yB′yO3 or any combination thereof, and wherein the ferroelectric nanoshell composition is characterized as being ferromagnetic, ferroelectric, or both. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The nanoscale device of claim 13 wherein one or more electrode comprises of either a noble-metal, a transition metal, a transition metal alloy, a non-ferroic metal oxide, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 16 (depends on 5) The nanoscale device of claim 5 wherein the one or more electrodes further comprise an adhesion layer wherein the adhesion layer comprises one or more of the following: Au/Cr, Au/Ni, Au/NiCr, Au/Ti, Pt/Cr, Au/Ni, Au/NiCr, Au/Ti, Pt/Cr, Pt/Ni, Pt/NiCr, Pt/Ti, Pd/Cr, Pd/Ni, Pd/NiCr, Pd/Ti, AuPd/Cr, AuPd/Ni, AuPd/NiCr, AuPd/Ti, a non-ferroic metallic perovskite oxide, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 17 A ferroelectric field effect transistor, comprising: a source; and a drain, wherein said source and drain are capable of providing an electric field to a ferroelectric nanoshell; and a gate, wherein the gate is disposed on the ferroelectric nanoshell; and one or more nanoshells comprising a ferroelectric material, the one or more nanoshells being characterized as comprising: an inner nanoshell surface; and an outer nanoshell surface having a radius of curvature in the range of from about 5 nm to about 500 nm, and the thickness between said inner nanoshell surface and said outer nanoshell surface in the range of from greater than about 1 nm to less than about 100 nm; and wherein the ferroelectric nanoshell is characterized as being ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, or both. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The ferroelectric field effect transistor of claim 17 wherein the ferroelectric material comprises a semiconducting ferroelectric, an organic ferroelectric, a polymer ferroelectric or a metal oxide represented by the formula: ABO3 Or A1-xA′xB1-yB′yO3 wherein A and A′ represents any element in the lanthanide, alkaline earth, or alkali metal groups and B and B′ represents a transition metal, and wherein x is in the range of from about 0 to about 11, and y is in the range of from about 0 to about 1. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The ferroelectric field effect transistor of claim 17, wherein the nanoshell further comprises one or more alternating layers comprising a semiconducting ferroelectric, an organic ferroelectric, a polymer ferroelectric or a composition of the formula: ABO3 Or A1-xA′xB1-yB′yO3 or any combination thereof, and wherein the ferroelectric nanoshell composition is characterized as being ferromagnetic, ferroelectric, or both. ### Claim 20 A metal ferroelectric metal device, comprising: one or more electrodes; and one or more nanoshells comprising a ferroelectric material, the one or more nanoshells being characterized as comprising: an inner nanoshell surface; and an outer nanoshell surface, the thickness between said inner nanoshell surface and said outer nanoshell surface being in the range of from greater than about 1 nm to less than about 100 nm; and wherein the nanoshell inner and outer surfaces are situated adjacent to the two or more electrodes; and wherein the ferroelectric material is characterized as being ferroelectric, ferromagnetic or both.