Abstract
Ferroelectric domain patterns are intensively investigated due to their increasing practical importance, e.g., for frequency conversion or high-density data storage. For their characterization, a visualization technique with high lateral resolution is required. Among the wealth of techniques, piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) has become a standard tool for visualizing micron-sized domain structures. This is mainly due to its easy use without any specific sample preparation and the high lateral resolution of a few 10 nm. The vertical resolution of PFM reaches even the sub-picometer regime. Despite these impressive numbers, there are, however, only a few publications reporting quantitative data obtained with PFM. This seems to be amongst others due to a lack of knowledge on scanning force microscopy issues.In this chapter we present an overview on PFM imaging restricted to the detection of ferroelectric domains on the polar faces of single crystals. We intend to provide a deeper insight into PFM imaging and thereby a more reliable interpretation of PFM images.
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