Abstract
Expanding the performance of field-effect devices is a key challenge of the ever-growing chip industry at the core of current technologies1. Non-volatile multiferroic transistors that control atomic movements rather than purely electronic distribution are highly desired2. Recently, a field-effect control over structural transitions was achieved in commensurate stacking configurations of honeycomb van der Waals (vdW) polytypes by sliding boundary strips between oppositely polarized domains3,4,5,6. This ferroelectric hysteretic response, however, relied on pre-existing dislocation strips between relatively large micron-scale domains, severely limiting practical implementations3,7,8. Here we report the robust electric switching of single-domain polytypes in nanometre-scale islands embedded in super-lubricant vdW arrays. We etch cavities into a thin layered spacer and then encapsulate it with functional flakes. The flakes above/under the lattice-mismatched spacer sag and touch at each cavity to form islands of commensurate and metastable polytype configurations. By imaging the polarization of the polytypes, we observe nucleation and annihilation of boundary strips and geometry-adaptable ferroelectric hysteresis loops. Using mechanical stress, we further control the position of boundary strips, modify marginal twist angles and nucleate patterns of polar domain. This super-lubricant arrays of polytype (SLAP) concept suggests ‘slidetronics’ device applications such as elastic-coupled neuromorphic memory cells and non-volatile multiferroic tunnelling transistors and programmable response by designing the size, shape and symmetry of the islands and of the arrays9.
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Data availability
All of the data in the experiments and analysis that support the findings of this study are included in the main paper and Methods. Any other relevant data are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14082606 (ref. 48).
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Acknowledgements
We thank N. Ravid and I. Malker for laboratory support. K.W. and T.T. acknowledge support from the JSPS KAKENHI (grant numbers 21H05233 and 23H02052) and World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), MEXT, Japan. M.B.S. acknowledges support from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2024 research and innovation programme (‘SlideTronics’, consolidator grant agreement no. 101126257) and the Israel Science Foundation under grant nos 319/22 and 3623/21. We further acknowledge the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology of Tel Aviv University.
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Y.Y. performed the experiments, supported by Y.S., N.Ro. and N.Ra. and supervised by M.B.S. K.W. and T.T. provided the h-BN crystals. All authors contributed to the writing of the manuscript.
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Ramot at Tel Aviv University Ltd has applied for a patent (US application no. 63/676,819) on some of the technology and materials discussed here, for which Y.Y., Y.S., N.Ra. and M.B.S. are listed as co-inventors.
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Extended data figures and tables
Extended Data Fig. 2 Comparison of spacer lithography methods.
a,b, AFM and optical microscope image of local anodic oxidation lithography with cavity diameter down to about 20 nm. c,d, AFM and optical image of laser pulse lithography.
Extended Data Fig. 3 Imaging ferroelectric hysteresis loop for a 150-nm cavity.
Device 2; see Fig. 2. Domain pattern imaged by KPFM after bias scans at the voltage and time indicated on each map.
Extended Data Fig. 4 Further ferroelectric hysteresis measurements (device 2).
a, Topographic and KPFM maps of the cavity array. b–d, Hysteresis loops of the cavities marked in a, with diameters of 150, 250 and 350 nm, respectively. Bright and dark column stands for the switching to complete up-polarization and down-polarization.
Extended Data Fig. 5 Triangular intermediate transition states (device 2).
a, Topographic image of a 250-nm cavity. b–d, KPFM image measured before and after applying bias scans as indicated in each map.
Extended Data Fig. 6 Determination of threshold pressure for dislocation movement.
a, Topographic AFM image of the measured array. b, KPFM signals before tip pressing. c, Successive pressing experiments. Scanning illustration and applied force indicate the contact-mode scan parameters before the KPFM image. Scale bar indicates 1 μm.
Extended Data Fig. 7 Imaging sagging of active layers (device 2).
a,b, Topography and surface potential maps of as-fabricated cavity array. c,d, Topographic and KPFM maps after AFM contact-mode scans at a pressure of 300 nN. Scale bars, 1 μm.
Extended Data Fig. 8 Friction force measurement around the cavity.
a, Friction force calibration curve measured in atomically flat h-BN. b, Topographic image of cavity in device 3 measured at 300-nN loading force. c, Corresponding friction force mapping at 300-nN applied normal force.
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Yeo, Y., Sharaby, Y., Roy, N. et al. Polytype switching by super-lubricant van der Waals cavity arrays. Nature 638, 389–393 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08380-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08380-2
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