‘It’s like spray-painting atoms onto a surface’

Photo Credit: Jennifer M. McCann

A research team has discovered that by using a new method of “atomic spray painting,” they can tweak the atomic structure of lead-free potassium niobate in order to enhance its ferroelectric properties.

The study, created by a team led by Penn State researchers, explains how molecular beam epitaxy can be employed to deposit atomic layers onto a substrate to create thin films, as a report by SciTechDaily explained.

Using a technique called strain tuning, the researchers adjusted how successive layers are aligned to modify a material’s properties by stretching or compressing the atoms that make up its crystal structure.

They found that they could control the thin-film properties of potassium niobate, a key material in advanced electronics. This opens up new possibilities for greener technologies, medical devices, and space exploration, as the report detailed.

“This was the first time potassium niobate has been grown using MBE,” said Venkatraman Gopalan, a professor of materials science and engineering at Penn State and a corresponding author of the study, according to SciTechDaily.

“The technique is like spray-painting atoms onto a surface.”

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Co-author Sankalpa Hazra offered a few more details about the process in the article, saying: “This method allows the atoms in the thin films to adjust to the underlying substrate’s atomic structure, causing strain.

“Even a tiny stretch of about 1% can create pressure that would be impossible to achieve by simply pulling or pressing on such a brittle material from the outside. This pressure can significantly improve how the material works from a ferroelectric perspective.”

Ferroelectric metals frequently used for these applications are usually lead-based, which is toxic to humans and the environment. Strain-tuning lead-free potassium niobate allows the material to do the same work, even under high temperatures, offering a more environmentally friendly and safer way forward for the industry. 

“A ferroelectric is sort of like a minibattery that is already charged up permanently by nature,” Gopalan said. 

“Despite not being a household name, ferroelectrics are everywhere in key technologies we take for granted in our daily lives. The internet, for example, relies on converting electrical to optical signals, which is performed by a ferroelectric crystal. These materials can reverse their electric polarity when an external electric field is applied, a quality that also makes them vital for devices like ultrasound equipment, infrared cameras, and precision actuators for advanced microdevices.”

By using nontoxic materials for electronics, we can reduce the amount of harmful waste that ends up in landfills and further protect our environment. The optical properties of potassium niobate, which is classified as a perovskite material, may help in the development of next-generation solar panels and other green tech. 

There’s still work to be done as the researchers move to the next step in the process, which is growing these thin films on silicon, a key material in the electronics industry.

“With further development, this novel version of the material could become a key player in the next generation of green, high-performance technologies that impact everything from our personal devices to space exploration,” Gopalan said.

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