Depth resolution in piezoresponse force microscopy

Fuente: arXiv
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Hauptverfasser: Roeper, Matthias, Seddon, Samuel Dominic, Amber, Zeeshan H., Rüsing, Michael, Eng, Lukas M.
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2024
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author Roeper, Matthias
Seddon, Samuel Dominic
Amber, Zeeshan H.
Rüsing, Michael
Eng, Lukas M.
author_facet Roeper, Matthias
Seddon, Samuel Dominic
Amber, Zeeshan H.
Rüsing, Michael
Eng, Lukas M.
contents Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM) is one of the most widespread methods for investigating and visualizing ferroelectric domain structures down to the nanometer length scale. PFM makes use of the direct coupling of the piezoelectric response to the crystal lattice, and hence is most often applied to spatially map the 3-dimensional (3D) near-surface domain distribution of any polar or ferroic sample. Nonetheless, since most samples investigated by PFM are at least semiconducting or fully insulating, the electric ac field emerging from the conductive scanning force microscopy (SFM) tip, penetrates the sample, and hence may also couple to polar features that are deeply buried into the bulk of the sample under investigation. Thus, in the work presented here, we experimentally and theoretically explore the contrast and depth resolution capabilities of PFM, by analyzing the dependence of several key parameters. These key parameters include the depth of the buried feature, i.e. here a domain wall (DW), as well as PFM-relevant technical parameters such as the tip radius, the PFM drive voltage and frequency, and the signal-to-noise ratio. The theoretical predictions are experimentally verified using x-cut periodically-poled lithium niobate single crystals that are specially prepared into wedge-shaped samples, in order to allow the buried feature, here the DW, to be `positioned' at any depth into the bulk. This inspection essentially contributes to the fundamental understanding in PFM contrast analysis, and to the reconstruction of 3D domain structures down to a 1-$μ$m-penetration depth into the sample.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2403_02797
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Depth resolution in piezoresponse force microscopy
Roeper, Matthias
Seddon, Samuel Dominic
Amber, Zeeshan H.
Rüsing, Michael
Eng, Lukas M.
Applied Physics
Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM) is one of the most widespread methods for investigating and visualizing ferroelectric domain structures down to the nanometer length scale. PFM makes use of the direct coupling of the piezoelectric response to the crystal lattice, and hence is most often applied to spatially map the 3-dimensional (3D) near-surface domain distribution of any polar or ferroic sample. Nonetheless, since most samples investigated by PFM are at least semiconducting or fully insulating, the electric ac field emerging from the conductive scanning force microscopy (SFM) tip, penetrates the sample, and hence may also couple to polar features that are deeply buried into the bulk of the sample under investigation. Thus, in the work presented here, we experimentally and theoretically explore the contrast and depth resolution capabilities of PFM, by analyzing the dependence of several key parameters. These key parameters include the depth of the buried feature, i.e. here a domain wall (DW), as well as PFM-relevant technical parameters such as the tip radius, the PFM drive voltage and frequency, and the signal-to-noise ratio. The theoretical predictions are experimentally verified using x-cut periodically-poled lithium niobate single crystals that are specially prepared into wedge-shaped samples, in order to allow the buried feature, here the DW, to be `positioned' at any depth into the bulk. This inspection essentially contributes to the fundamental understanding in PFM contrast analysis, and to the reconstruction of 3D domain structures down to a 1-$μ$m-penetration depth into the sample.
title Depth resolution in piezoresponse force microscopy
topic Applied Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.02797