Imaging of ferroelectric domains with sub micrometer resolution by scanning force microscopy

Author

Abplanalp, M. ; Günter, P.

Author_Institution

Inst. of Quantum Electron., Swiss Federal Inst. of Technol., Zurich, Switzerland

fYear

1998

fDate

1998

Firstpage

423

Lastpage

426

Abstract

A new method allowing the measurement of all three components of the spontaneous polarization at sample surfaces with a scanning force microscope is presented. This non-destructive technique offers a sub micrometer lateral resolution for the spontaneous polarization with simultaneous imaging of the surface morphology. The spontaneous polarization is made visible via the inverse piezoelectric effect: an a.c. voltage applied to the conductive tip of the scanning force microscope leads to a periodic local distortion of the crystal which is sensed by the tip. The method is demonstrated for barium-titanate crystals

Keywords

atomic force microscopy; barium compounds; dielectric polarisation; electric domains; electromechanical effects; ferroelectric materials; surface structure; BaTiO₃; barium-titanate crystals; ferroelectric domains; imaging; inverse piezoelectric effect; nondestructive technique; sample surfaces; scanning force microscopy; spontaneous polarization; sub micrometer lateral resolution; sub micrometer resolution; surface morphology; Ferroelectric materials; Force measurement; Image resolution; Microscopy; Optical imaging; Piezoelectric effect; Piezoelectric polarization; Predistortion; Surface morphology; Voltage;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Applications of Ferroelectrics, 1998. ISAF 98. Proceedings of the Eleventh IEEE International Symposium on

Conference_Location

Montreux

ISSN

1099-4734

Print_ISBN

0-7803-4959-8

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ISAF.1998.786722

Filename

786722