MAC III
5
Keysight 5500 SPM User’s Guide
5-43
Piezoresponse Force Microscopy
Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM) is a scanning probe
microscopy technique based on the reverse piezoelectric effect, where a
piezoelectric material expands or contracts upon applying to it an
electric field. PFM mode has been shown to delineate regions of
different piezoresponse with subnanometer lateral resolution.
PFM mode is a type of contact mode and requires a SPM probe that is
coated with a conductive material. An AC modulation with an optional
DC offset bias is applied to the tip, which is in contact with the sample
surface, and the piezoresponse of the sample is measured from the
deflection of the cantilever.
PFM Spectroscopy is a non-imaging technique that compliments PFM
imaging. In PFM Spectroscopy, the piezoresponse of a given location on
the sample can be mapped versus, for example, the DC bias or the
frequency of the AC signal applied to the sample via the tip. This
technique can also be used to study hysteretic characteristics of the
piezoresponse.