abstract
Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) provides a novel opportunity to detect picometer-level displacements induced by an electric field applied through a conducting tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM). Recently, it was discovered that superb vertical sensitivity provided by PFM is high enough to monitor electric-field-induced ionic displacements in solids, the technique being referred to as electrochemical strain microscopy (ESM). ESM has been implemented only in multi-frequency detection modes such as dual AC resonance tracking (DART) and band excitation, where the response is recorded within a finite frequency range, typically around the first contact resonance. In this paper, we analyze and compare signal-to-noise ratios of the conventional single-frequency method with multi-frequency regimes of measuring surface displacements. Single-frequency detection ESM is demonstrated using a commercial AFM.
keywords
ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPY; ELECTROCHEMICAL STRAIN MICROSCOPY; THERMAL NOISE; NANOSCALE; SPECTROSCOPY; CANTILEVERS; DIFFUSION; ANODES; SOLIDS; LIMIT
subject category
Materials Science; Microscopy
authors
Romanyuk, K; Luchkin, SY; Ivanov, M; Kalinin, A; Kholkin, AL
our authors
Andrei Kholkin
Retired Researcher
Konstantin Nikolaevich Romanyuk
Junior Researcher
Maxim Ivanov
Junior Researcher
Sergey Luchkin
PhD Studentacknowledgements
The work was supported by the European Commission within FP7 Marie Curie Initial Training Network