Scanning force microscopy for the study of domain structure in ferroelectric thin films

Authors

Alexei Gruverman, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
O. Auciello, MCNC, Electronics Technologies Division, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
H. Tokumoto, Joint Research Center for Atom Technology, National Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305, Japan

Date of this Version

January 1996

Comments

Published in J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 14(2), Mar/Apr 1996. Copyright © 1996 American Vacuum Society. Used by permission.

Abstract

A piezoresponse technique based on scanning force microscopy (SFM) has been used for studying domain structure in ferroelectric thin films. Studies were performed on Pb(Zr_x,Ti_1-x)O₃(PZT) thin films produced by a sol–gel method. The piezoresponse images of the PZT films were taken before and after inducing polarization in the films by applying a direct current voltage between the bottom electrode and the SFM tip. Polarization induced patterns were written with 20 V pulses and subsequently imaged by the SFM piezoresponse technique. The effect of the film structure on the imaging resolution of domains is discussed.