Three-dimensional electric field probing of ferroelectrics on the nanometer scale using scanning force microscopy

Nanoscale investigations of ferroic systems are currently of clue interest in device fabrication and analysis. We show that scanning force microscopy (SFM) is of valuable help in addressing questions of both dynamic and static stability of domains and domain walls. In this contribution polarization sensitive modes of SFM, i.e. piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and Kelvin force probe microscopy (KPFM) are contrasted for the internal and external electric field measurements. These techniques provide unique resolution of the sample topography including chemical heterogeneity and the domain wall width, recording of hysteresis loops on the nanometer scale, as well as the transient response when inducing ferroelectric domain switching. Emphasis is laid onto the future possibilities in measuring device limiting physical properties which are related to interface problems. Here SPM tools applied to the local inspection provide unique insight to this problematic.