Broadband dielectric dispersion in ferroelectric P(VDF-TrFE) copolymer films

Ferroelectric polyvinylidenefluoride-trifluoroethylene copolymer films with different thicknesses are prepared by a solvent-cast technique, by spin coating, and by a horizontal Langmuir–Blodgett technique respectively. The frequency dependent dielectric permittivity of these films is investigated with varying sample thickness and varying temperature in the ferroelectric as well as in the paraelectric phase. A dielectric relaxation according to a Vogel–Tamman–Fulcher law of the relaxation times is found in all samples. However, the relaxation times extracted from the dielectric permittivity in the frequency range are not consistent with the relaxation times determined from the temperature range. An explanation for this behavior is given by a temperature dependent distribution of relaxation times. Additionally, in thin samples a second relaxation with a weak anomalous temperature dependence, i.e. an increasing relaxation time with increasing temperature, is observed at high frequencies. Detailed investigations show that this behavior can be attributed to an electrode effect.