| abstract |
A method for converting a dielectric material including a type IV transition metal into a crystalline material that includes forming a predominantly non-crystalline dielectric material including the type IV transition metal on a supporting substrate as a component of an electrical device having a scale of microscale or less; and converting the predominantly non-crystalline dielectric material including the type IV transition metal to a crystalline crystal structure by exposure to energy for durations of less than 100 milliseconds and, in some instances, less than 10 microseconds. The resultant material is fully or partially crystallized and contains a metastable ferroelectric phase such as the polar orthorhombic phase of space group Pca2 1 or Pmn2 1 . During the conversion to the crystalline crystal structure, adjacently positioned components of the electrical devices are not damaged. |