Chapter 2 - Ferroelectric polarization measurement

Abstract

This chapter discusses the observation of ferroelectric polarization distributions in two dimensions based on scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy (SNDM). In the work detailed herein, macroscopic domains in a single crystal of BaTiO3 having multidomains were assessed using SNDM. Following this, a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin film was examined to confirm that SNDM can be applied to the investigation of domains in thin ferroelectric films. Based on these analyses of microscopic domains in PZT, contact-type SNDM is shown to provide sub-nanometer resolution when examining ferroelectric polarization. Higher-order nonlinear dielectric analyses were also carried out, and the results demonstrated that this technique exhibits increased lateral resolution without the need for an especially sharp probe tip. Finally, the results described herein demonstrate that higher-order SNDM images are a useful means of assessing microscopic domain morphologies, as well as the behavior of such domains in response to the concentrated electric field formed by a sharp probe tip.