Domain Nucleation and Growth in an Epitaxially Grown Wurtzite Ferroelectric

Abstract Ferroelectric domain nucleation and growth in epitaxial (Al, B, Sc)N films grown on n‐GaN substrates are explored using a combination of ferroelectric property measurements and scanning transmission electron microscopy, including novel in situ switching studies. The films are electrically switched to nitrogen‐polar (N‐polar) and metal‐polar (M‐polar) configurations, attaining a remanent polarization of 120 µC cm − 2 with coercive fields of ≈6 MV cm −1 . In the initial switching cycle, the ferroelectric domains nucleate near the bottom n‐GaN electrode and develop domain walls with zigzag morphologies, while residual “dead layers” that do not switch from the as‐deposited orientation persist at the top and bottom electrodes. The in situ microscopy experiments reveal that domain walls propagate fastest in the lateral direction, parallel to the electrode/film interface. These findings provide insights into the domain dynamics and structural evolution of wurtzite ferroelectrics, offering implications for next‐generation electronic devices.