Resolution theory, and static and frequency-dependent cross-talk in piezoresponse force microscopy

Synthesis and Optical Properties of One Year Air-Stable Chiral Sb(III) Halide Semiconductors

Chiral hybrid metal-halide semiconductors (MHS) pose as ideal candidates for spintronic applications owing to their strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC), and long spin relaxation times. Shedding light on the underlying structure-property relationships is of paramount importance for the targeted synthesis of materials with an optimum performance. Herein, we report the synthesis and optical properties of 1D chiral (R-/S-THBTD)SbBr5 (THBTD = 4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-benzothiazole-2,6-diamine) semiconductors using a multifunctional ligand as a countercation and a structure directing agent. (R-/S-THBTD)SbBr5 feature direct and indirect band gap characteristics, exhibiting photoluminescence (PL) light emission at RT that is accompanied by a lifetime of a few ns. Circular dichroism (CD), second harmonic generation (SHG), and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) studies validate the chiral nature of the synthesized materials. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed a Rashba/Dresselhaus (R/D) spin splitting, supported by an energy splitting (ER) of 23 and 25 meV, and a Rashba parameter (αR) of 0.23 and 0.32 eV·Å for the R and S analogs, respectively. These values are comparable to those of the 3D and 2D perovskite materials. Notably, (S-THBTD)SbBr5 has been air-stable for a year, a record performance among chiral lead-free MHS. This work demonstrates that low-dimensional, lead-free, chiral semiconductors with exceptional air stability can be acquired, without compromising spin splitting and manipulation performance.

Ferroelectricity in hafnia controlled via surface electrochemical state

Ferroelectricity in binary oxides including hafnia and zirconia has riveted the attention of the scientific community due to the highly unconventional physical mechanisms and the potential for the integration of these materials into semiconductor workflows. Over the last decade, it has been argued that behaviours such as wake-up phenomena and an extreme sensitivity to electrode and processing conditions suggest that ferroelectricity in these materials is strongly influenced by other factors, including electrochemical boundary conditions and strain. Here we argue that the properties of these materials emerge due to the interplay between the bulk competition between ferroelectric and structural instabilities, similar to that in classical antiferroelectrics, coupled with non-local screening mediated by the finite density of states at surfaces and internal interfaces. Via the decoupling of electrochemical and electrostatic controls, realized via environmental and ultra-high vacuum piezoresponse force microscopy, we show that these materials demonstrate a rich spectrum of ferroic behaviours including partial-pressure-induced and temperature-induced transitions between ferroelectric and antiferroelectric behaviours. These behaviours are consistent with an antiferroionic model and suggest strategies for hafnia-based device optimization.

Collagen piezoelectricity in osteogenesis imperfecta and its role in intrafibrillar mineralization

Intrafibrillar mineralization plays a critical role in attaining desired mechanical properties of bone. It is well known that amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) infiltrates into the collagen through the gap regions, but its underlying driving force is not understood. Based on the authors’ previous observations that a collagen fibril has higher piezoelectricity at gap regions, it was hypothesized that the piezoelectric heterogeneity of collagen helps ACP infiltration through the gap. To further examine this hypothesis, the collagen piezoelectricity of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), known as brittle bone disease, is characterized by employing Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM). The OI collagen reveals similar piezoelectricity between gap and overlap regions, implying that losing piezoelectric heterogeneity in OI collagen results in abnormal intrafibrillar mineralization and, accordingly, losing the benefit of mechanical heterogeneity from the fibrillar level. This finding suggests a perspective to explain the ACP infiltration, highlighting the physiological role of collagen piezoelectricity in intrafibrillar mineralization.

Exploring Causal Physical Mechanisms via Non-Gaussian Linear Models and Deep Kernel Learning: Applications for Ferroelectric Domain Structures

Rapid emergence of multimodal imaging in scanning probe, electron, and optical microscopies has brought forth the challenge of understanding the information contained in these complex data sets, targeting the intrinsic correlations between different channels, and further exploring the underpinning causal physical mechanisms. Here, we develop such an analysis framework for Piezoresponse Force Microscopy. We argue that under certain conditions, we can bootstrap experimental observations with the prior knowledge of materials structure to get information on certain nonobserved properties, and demonstrate linear causal analysis for PFM observables. We further demonstrate that the strength of individual causal links between complex descriptors can be ascertained using the deep kernel learning (DKL) model. In this DKL analysis, we use the prior information on domain structure within the image to predict the physical properties. This analysis demonstrates the correlative relationships between morphology, piezoresponse, elastic property, etc., at nanoscale. The prediction of morphology and other physical parameters illustrates a mutual interaction between surface condition and physical properties in ferroelectric materials. This analysis is universal and can be extended to explore the correlative relationships of other multichannel data sets, and allow for high-fidelity reconstruction of underpinning functionalities and physical mechanisms.

Breaking the Fundamental Limitations of Nanoscale Ferroelectric Characterization: Non-Contact Heterodyne Electrostrain Force Microscopy

Perceiving nanoscale ferroelectric phenomena from real space is of great importance for elucidating underlying ferroelectric physics. During the past decades, nanoscale ferroelectric characterization has mainly relied on the Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM) invented in 1992, however, the fundamental limitations of PFM have made the nanoscale ferroelectric studies encounter significant bottlenecks. In this study, a high-resolution non-contact ferroelectric measurement, named Non-Contact Heterodyne Electrostrain Force Microscopy (NC-HEsFM), is introduced. It is demonstrated that NC-HEsFM can operate on multiple eigenmodes to perform ideal high-resolution ferroelectric domain mapping, standard ferroelectric hysteresis loop measurement, and controllable domain manipulation. By using a quartz tuning fork (QTF) sensor, multi-frequency operation, and heterodyne detection schemes, NC-HEsFM achieves a real non-contact yet non-destructive ferroelectric characterization with negligible electrostatic force effect and hence breaks the fundamental limitations of the conventional PFM. It is believed that NC-HEsFM can be extensively used in various ferroelectric or piezoelectric studies with providing substantially improved characterization performance. Meanwhile, the QTF-based force detection makes NC-HEsFM highly compatible for high-vacuum and low-temperature environments, providing ideal conditions for investigating the intrinsic ferroelectric phenomena with the possibility of achieving an atomically resolved ferroelectric characterization.

Electro-active properties of nanostructured films of cytosine and guanine nucleobases

The discovery of multifunctional properties related to electro-activity of organic systems of biomolecules is important for a variety of applications, especially for devices in the realm of biocompatible sensors and/or bioactuators. A further step towards such applications is to prepare thin films with the required properties. Here, the investigation is focused on the characterization of films of guanine and cytosine nucleobases, prepared by thermal evaporation-an industrial accessible deposition technique. The cytosine films have an orthorhombic non-centrosymmetric structure and grow in two interconnected nanostructured fractal patterns, of nearly equal proportion. Piezoresponse force microscopy images acquired at room temperature on the cytosine films display large zones with antiparallel alignment of the vertical components of the polarization vector. Guanine films have a dense nano-grained morphology. Our studies reveal electrical polarization switching effects which can be related to ferroelectricity in the films of guanine molecules. Characteristic ferroelectric polarization-electric-field hysteresis loops showing large electrical polarization are observed at low temperatures up to 200 K. Above this temperature, the guanine films have a preponderant paraelectric phase containing residual or locally induced nano-scopic ferroelectric domains, as observed by piezoresponse force microscopy at room temperature.

Piezoelectric Heterogeneity in Collagen Type I Fibrils Quantitatively Characterized by Piezoresponse Force Microscopy

Piezoelectricity of Type I collagen can provide the stress-generated potential that is considered to be one of the candidate mechanisms to explain bone's adaptation to loading. However, it is still challenging to quantify piezoelectricity because of its heterogeneity and small magnitude. In this study, resonance-enhanced piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) was utilized to amplify a weak piezoresponse of a single collagen fibril with a carefully calibrated cantilever. The quantitative PFM, combined with a dual-frequency resonance-tracking method, successfully identified the anisotropic and heterogenous nature of the piezoelectric properties in the collagen fibril. The profile of shear piezoelectric coefficient (d₁₅) was obtained to be periodic along the collagen fibril, with a larger value in the gap zone (0.51 pm/V) compared to the value in the overlap zone (0.29 pm/V). Interestingly, this piezoelectric profile corresponds to the periodic profile of mechanical stiffness in a mineralized collagen fibril having a higher stiffness in the gap zone. Considering that apatite crystals are nucleated at the gap zone and subsequently grown along the collagen fibril, the heterogeneous and anisotropic nature of piezoelectric properties highlights the physiological importance of the collagen piezoelectricity in bone mineralization.

Revealing Antiferroelectric Switching and Ferroelectric Wakeup in Hafnia by Advanced Piezoresponse Force Microscopy

Hafnium oxide (HfO₂)-based ferroelectrics offer remarkable promise for memory and logic devices in view of their compatibility with traditional silicon complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, high switchable polarization, good endurance, and thickness scalability. These factors have led to a steep rise in the level of research on HfO₂ over the past number of years. While measurements on capacitors are promising for understanding macroscopic effects, many open questions regarding the emergence of ferroelectricity and electric field cycling behaviors remain. Continued progress requires information regarding the nanoscale ferroelectric behaviors on the bare surface (i.e., without encapsulation), which is notably absent. To overcome this barrier, we have applied complementary modes of piezoresponse force microscopy with the goal of directly and quantitatively sensing nanoscale ferroelectric behaviors in bare HfO₂ thin films. Our results on 8 nm Si-doped HfO₂ reveal nanoscale domains of local remnant polarization states exhibiting a weak piezoelectric coupling (d_eff) in the range 0.6-1.5 pm/V. While we observed localized enhancement of d_eff during progressive stressing of the bare HfO₂ thin film, we did not detect stable polarization switching which is a prerequisite of ferroelectric switching. This result could be explained using polarization switching spectroscopy which revealed antiferroelectric-like switching in the form of pinched hysteresis loops as well as increasing remnant response with repeated cycling. As such, our results offer a promising route for material scientists who want to explore the nanoscale origins of antiferroelectricity and ferroelectric wakeup in HfO₂.

Recent Progress in the Nanoscale Evaluation of Piezoelectric and Ferroelectric Properties via Scanning Probe Microscopy

Piezoelectric and ferroelectric materials have garnered significant interest owing to their excellent physical properties and multiple potential applications. Accordingly, the need for evaluating piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties has also increased. The piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties are evaluated macroscopically using laser interferometers and polarization-electric field loop measurements. However, as the research focus is shifted from bulk to nanosized materials, scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques have been suggested as an alternative approach for evaluating piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties. In this Progress Report, the recent progress on the nanoscale evaluation of piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of diverse materials using SPM-based methods is summarized. Among the SPM techniques, the focus is on recent studies that are related to piezoresponse force microscopy and conductive atomic force microscopy; further, the utilization of these two modes to understand piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties at the nanoscale level is discussed. This work can provide guidelines for evaluating the piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of materials based on SPM techniques.

Local Strain and Polarization Mapping in Ferrielectric Materials

CuInP₂S₆ (CIPS) is a van der Waals material that has attracted attention because of its unusual properties. Recently, a combination of density functional theory (DFT) calculations and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) showed that CIPS is a uniaxial quadruple-well ferrielectric featuring two polar phases and a total of four polarization states that can be controlled by external strain. Here, we combine DFT and PFM to investigate the stress-dependent piezoelectric properties of CIPS, which have so far remained unexplored. The two different polarization phases are predicted to differ in their mechanical properties and the stress sensitivity of their piezoelectric constants. This knowledge is applied to the interpretation of ferroelectric domain images, which enables investigation of local strain and stress distributions. The interplay of theory and experiment produces polarization maps and layer spacings which we compare to macroscopic X-ray measurements. We found that the sample contains only the low-polarization phase and that domains of one polarization orientation are strained, whereas domains of the opposite polarization direction are fully relaxed. The described nanoscale imaging methodology is applicable to any material for which the relationship between electromechanical and mechanical characteristics is known, providing insight on structural, mechanical, and electromechanical properties down to ∼10 nm length scales.

Piezoelectric domain walls in van der Waals antiferroelectric CuInP2Se6

Polar van der Waals chalcogenophosphates exhibit unique properties, such as negative electrostriction and multi-well ferrielectricity, and enable combining dielectric and 2D electronic materials. Using low temperature piezoresponse force microscopy, we revealed coexistence of piezoelectric and non-piezoelectric phases in CuInP₂Se₆, forming unusual domain walls with enhanced piezoelectric response. From systematic imaging experiments we have inferred the formation of a partially polarized antiferroelectric state, with inclusions of structurally distinct ferrielectric domains enclosed by the corresponding phase boundaries. The assignment is strongly supported by optical spectroscopies and density-functional-theory calculations. Enhanced piezoresponse at the ferrielectric/antiferroelectric phase boundary and the ability to manipulate this entity with electric field on the nanoscale expand the existing phenomenology of functional domain walls. At the same time, phase-coexistence in chalcogenophosphates may lead to rational strategies for incorporation of ferroic functionality into van der Waals heterostructures, with stronger resilience toward detrimental size-effects.

Domain walls in van der Waals layered ferrielectric CuInP₂Se₆ exhibit piezoelectric response. This striking departure from traditional ferroelectric behavior is ascribed to a partially polarized antiferroelectric state, where the domain wall separates coexisting regions of ferrielectric and antiferroelectric phases.

Toward Electrochemical Studies on the Nanometer and Atomic Scales: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities

Electrochemical reactions and ionic transport underpin the operation of a broad range of devices and applications, from energy storage and conversion to information technologies, as well as biochemical processes, artificial muscles, and soft actuators. Understanding the mechanisms governing function of these applications requires probing local electrochemical phenomena on the relevant time and length scales. Here, we discuss the challenges and opportunities for extending electrochemical characterization probes to the nanometer and ultimately atomic scales, including challenges in down-scaling classical methods, the emergence of novel probes enabled by nanotechnology and based on emergent physics and chemistry of nanoscale systems, and the integration of local data into macroscopic models. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) methods based on strain detection, potential detection, and hysteretic current measurements are discussed. We further compare SPM to electron beam probes and discuss the applicability of electron beam methods to probe local electrochemical behavior on the mesoscopic and atomic levels. Similar to a SPM tip, the electron beam can be used both for observing behavior and as an active electrode to induce reactions. We briefly discuss new challenges and opportunities for conducting fundamental scientific studies, matter patterning, and atomic manipulation arising in this context.

Quantitative Electromechanical Atomic Force Microscopy

The ability to probe a material's electromechanical functionality on the nanoscale is critical to applications from energy storage and computing to biology and medicine. Voltage-modulated atomic force microscopy (VM-AFM) has become a mainstay characterization tool for investigating these materials due to its ability to locally probe electromechanically responsive materials with spatial resolution from micrometers to nanometers. However, with the wide popularity of VM-AFM techniques such as piezoresponse force microscopy and electrochemical strain microscopy there has been a rise in reports of nanoscale electromechanical functionality, including hysteresis, in materials that should be incapable of exhibiting piezo- or ferroelectricity. Explanations for the origins of unexpected nanoscale phenomena have included new material properties, surface-mediated polarization changes, and/or spatially resolved behavior that is not present in bulk measurements. At the same time, it is well known that VM-AFM measurements are susceptible to numerous forms of crosstalk, and, despite efforts within the AFM community, a global approach for eliminating this has remained elusive. In this work, we develop a method for easily demonstrating the presence of hysteretic (i.e., "false ferroelectric") long-range interactions between the sample and cantilever body. This method should be easy to implement in any VM-AFM measurement. We then go on to demonstrate fully quantitative and repeatable nanoelectromechanical characterization using an interferometer. These quantitative measurements are critical for a wide range of devices including MEMS actuators and sensors, memristor, energy storage, and memory.

Resolving fine electromechanical structure of collagen fibrils via sequential excitation piezoresponse force microscopy

Collagen is the main protein in extracellular matrix that is found in many connective tissues, and it exhibits piezoelectricity that is expected to correlate with its hierarchical microstructure. Resolving fine electromechanical structure of collagen, however, is challenging, due to its weak piezoresponse, rough topography, and microstructural hierarchy. Here we adopt the newly developed sequential excitation strategy in combination with piezoresponse force microscopy to overcome these difficulties. It excites the local electromechanical response of collagen via a sequence of distinct frequencies, minimizing crosstalk with topography, followed by principal component analysis to remove the background noise and simple harmonic oscillator model for physical analysis and data reconstruction. These enable us to acquire high fidelity mappings of fine electromechanical response at the nanoscale that correlate with the gap and overlap domains of collagen fibrils, which show substantial improvement over conventional piezoresponse force microscopy techniques. It also embodies the spirit of big data atomic force microscopy that can be readily extended into other applications with targeted data acquisition.

Enhanced Piezoelectric Response in Hybrid Lead Halide Perovskite Thin Films via Interfacing with Ferroelectric PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3

We report a more than 10-fold enhancement of the piezoelectric coefficient d₃₃ of polycrystalline CH₃NH₃PbI₃ (MAPbI₃) films when interfacing them with ferroelectric PbZr_0.2Ti_0.8O₃ (PZT). Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) studies reveal [Formula: see text] values of 0.3-0.4 pm/V for MAPbI₃ deposited on Au, indium tin oxide, and SrTiO₃ surfaces, with small phase angle fluctuating at length scales smaller than the grain size. In sharp contrast, on samples prepared on epitaxial PZT films, we observe large-scale polar domains exhibiting clear, close to 180° PFM phase contrasts, pointing to polar axes along the film normal. By separating the piezoresponse contributions from the MAPbI₃ and PZT layers, we extract a significantly higher [Formula: see text] of ∼4 pm/V, which is attributed to the enhanced alignment of the MA molecular dipoles promoted by the unbalanced surface potential of PZT. We also discuss the effect of the interfacial screening layer on the preferred polar direction.

Surface-screening mechanisms in ferroelectric thin films and their effect on polarization dynamics and domain structures

For over 70 years, ferroelectric materials have been one of the central research topics for condensed matter physics and material science, an interest driven both by fundamental science and applications. However, ferroelectric surfaces, the key component of ferroelectric films and nanostructures, still present a significant theoretical and even conceptual challenge. Indeed, stability of ferroelectric phase per se necessitates screening of polarization charge. At surfaces, this can lead to coupling between ferroelectric and semiconducting properties of material, or with surface (electro) chemistry, going well beyond classical models applicable for ferroelectric interfaces. In this review, we summarize recent studies of surface-screening phenomena in ferroelectrics. We provide a brief overview of the historical understanding of the physics of ferroelectric surfaces, and existing theoretical models that both introduce screening mechanisms and explore the relationship between screening and relevant aspects of ferroelectric functionalities starting from phase stability itself. Given that the majority of ferroelectrics exist in multiple-domain states, we focus on local studies of screening phenomena using scanning probe microscopy techniques. We discuss recent studies of static and dynamic phenomena on ferroelectric surfaces, as well as phenomena observed under lateral transport, light, chemical, and pressure stimuli. We also note that the need for ionic screening renders polarization switching a coupled physical-electrochemical process and discuss the non-trivial phenomena such as chaotic behavior during domain switching that stem from this.

Exploring Anomalous Polarization Dynamics in Organometallic Halide Perovskites

Organometallic halide perovskites (OMHPs) have attracted broad attention as prospective materials for optoelectronic applications. Among the many anomalous properties of these materials, of special interest are the ferroelectric properties including both classical and relaxor-like components, as a potential origin of slow dynamics, field enhancement, and anomalous mobilities. Here, ferroelectric properties of the three representative OMHPs are explored, including FAPb_x Sn_1-x I₃ (x = 0, x = 0.85) and FA_0.85 MA_0.15 PbI₃ using band excitation piezoresponse force microscopy and contact mode Kelvin probe force microscopy, providing insight into long- and short-range dipole and charge dynamics in these materials and probing ferroelectric density of states. Furthermore, second-harmonic generation in thin films of OMHPs is observed, providing a direct information on the noncentrosymmetric polarization in such materials. Overall, the data provide strong evidence for the presence of ferroelectric domains in these systems; however, the domain dynamics is suppressed by fast ion dynamics. These materials hence present the limit of ferroelectric materials with spontaneous polarization dynamically screened by ionic and electronic carriers.

Two-Dimensional Lead(II) Halide-Based Hybrid Perovskites Templated by Acene Alkylamines: Crystal Structures, Optical Properties, and Piezoelectricity

A series of two-dimensional (2D) hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite (HOIP) crystals, based on acene alkylamine cations (i.e., phenylmethylammonium (PMA), 2-phenylethylammonium (PEA), 1-(2-naphthyl)methanammonium (NMA), and 2-(2-naphthyl)ethanammonium (NEA)) and lead(II) halide (i.e., PbX₄^2-, X = Cl, Br, and I) frameworks, and their corresponding thin films were fabricated and examined for structure-property relationship. Several new or redetermined crystal structures are reported, including those for (NEA)₂PbI₄, (NEA)₂PbBr₄, (NMA)₂PbBr₄, (PMA)₂PbBr₄, and (PEA)₂PbI₄. Non-centrosymmetric structures from among these 2D HOIPs were confirmed by piezoresponse force microscopy-especially noteworthy is the structure of (PMA)₂PbBr₄, which was previously reported as centrosymmetric. Examination of the impact of organic cation and inorganic layer choice on the exciton absorption/emission properties, among the set of compounds considered, reveals that perovskite layer distortion (i.e., Pb-I-Pb bond angle between adjacent PbI₆ octahedra) has a more global effect on the exciton properties than octahedral distortion (i.e., variation of I-Pb-I bond angles and discrepancy among Pb-I bond lengths within each PbI₆ octahedron). In addition to the characteristic sharp exciton emission for each perovskite, (PMA)₂PbCl₄, (PEA)₂PbCl₄, (NMA)₂PbCl₄, and (PMA)₂PbBr₄ exhibit separate, broad "white" emission in the long wavelength range. Piezoelectric compounds identified from these 2D HOIPs may be considered for future piezoresponse-type energy or electronic applications.

Rapid mapping of polarization switching through complete information acquisition

Polarization switching in ferroelectric and multiferroic materials underpins a broad range of current and emergent applications, ranging from random access memories to field-effect transistors, and tunnelling devices. Switching in these materials is exquisitely sensitive to local defects and microstructure on the nanometre scale, necessitating spatially resolved high-resolution studies of these phenomena. Classical piezoresponse force microscopy and spectroscopy, although providing necessary spatial resolution, are fundamentally limited in data acquisition rates and energy resolution. This limitation stems from their two-tiered measurement protocol that combines slow (∼1 s) switching and fast (∼10 kHz-1 MHz) detection waveforms. Here we develop an approach for rapid probing of ferroelectric switching using direct strain detection of material response to probe bias. This approach, facilitated by high-sensitivity electronics and adaptive filtering, enables spectroscopic imaging at a rate 3,504 times faster the current state of the art, achieving high-veracity imaging of polarization dynamics in complex microstructures.

Quantification of surface displacements and electromechanical phenomena via dynamic atomic force microscopy

Detection of dynamic surface displacements associated with local changes in material strain provides access to a number of phenomena and material properties. Contact resonance-enhanced methods of atomic force microscopy (AFM) have been shown capable of detecting ∼1-3 pm-level surface displacements, an approach used in techniques such as piezoresponse force microscopy, atomic force acoustic microscopy, and ultrasonic force microscopy. Here, based on an analytical model of AFM cantilever vibrations, we demonstrate a guideline to quantify surface displacements with high accuracy by taking into account the cantilever shape at the first resonant contact mode, depending on the tip-sample contact stiffness. The approach has been experimentally verified and further developed for piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) using well-defined ferroelectric materials. These results open up a way to accurate and precise measurements of surface displacement as well as piezoelectric constants at the pm-scale with nanometer spatial resolution and will allow avoiding erroneous data interpretations and measurement artifacts. This analysis is directly applicable to all cantilever-resonance-based scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques.

Choice of tip, signal stability, and practical aspects of piezoresponse-force-microscopy

Piezoresponse force-microscopy (PFM) has become the standard tool to investigate ferroelectrics on the micro- and nanoscale. However, reliability of PFM signals is often problematic and their quantification is challenging and thus not widely applied. Here, we present a study of the reproducibility of PFM signals and of the so-called PFM background signal which has been reported in the literature. We find that PFM signals are generally reproducible to certain extents. The PFM signal difference between 180° domains on periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) is taken as the reference signal in a large number of measurements, carried out in a low frequency regime (30-70 kHz). We show that in comparison to Pt coated tips, diamond coated tips exhibit improved signal stability, lower background signal, and less imaging artifacts related to PFM which is reflected in the spread of measurements. This is attributed to the improved mechanical stability of the conductive layer. The average deviation of the mean PFM signal is 38.3%, for a diamond coated tip. Although this deviation is relatively high, it is far better than values from the literature which showed a deviation of approx. 73.1%. Additionally, we find that the average deviation of the background signal from 0 is 11.6% of the PPLN domain contrast. Thus, the background signal needs to be taken into account when quantifying PFM signals and should be subtracted from PFM signals. Those results are important for quantification of PFM signals, since PPLN might be used for this purpose when PFM signals measured on PPLN are related to its macroscopic d33 coefficient. Finally, the crucial influence of sample polishing on PFM signals is shown and we recommend to use a multistep polishing route with a final step involving 200 nm sized colloidal silica particles.

Big data and deep data in scanning and electron microscopies: deriving functionality from multidimensional data sets

The development of electron and scanning probe microscopies in the second half of the twentieth century has produced spectacular images of the internal structure and composition of matter with nanometer, molecular, and atomic resolution. Largely, this progress was enabled by computer-assisted methods of microscope operation, data acquisition, and analysis. Advances in imaging technology in the beginning of the twenty-first century have opened the proverbial floodgates on the availability of high-veracity information on structure and functionality. From the hardware perspective, high-resolution imaging methods now routinely resolve atomic positions with approximately picometer precision, allowing for quantitative measurements of individual bond lengths and angles. Similarly, functional imaging often leads to multidimensional data sets containing partial or full information on properties of interest, acquired as a function of multiple parameters (time, temperature, or other external stimuli). Here, we review several recent applications of the big and deep data analysis methods to visualize, compress, and translate this multidimensional structural and functional data into physically and chemically relevant information.

Open loop Kelvin probe force microscopy with single and multi-frequency excitation

Conventional Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) relies on closed loop (CL) bias feedback for the determination of surface potential (SP). However, SP measured by CL-KPFM has been shown to be strongly influenced by the choice of measurement parameters due to non-electrostatic contributions to the input signal of the bias feedback loop. This often leads to systematic errors of several hundred mV and can also result in topographical crosstalk. Here, open loop (OL)-KPFM modes are investigated as a means of obtaining a quantitative, crosstalk free measurement of the SP of graphene grown on Cu foil, and are directly contrasted with CL-KPFM. OL-KPFM operation is demonstrated in both single and multi-frequency excitation regimes, yielding quantitative SP measurements. The SP difference between single and multilayer graphene structures using OL-KPFM was found to be 63 ± 11 mV, consistent with values previously reported by CL-KPFM. Furthermore, the same relative potential difference between Al2O3-coated graphene and Al2O3-coated Cu was observed using both CL and OL techniques. We observed an offset of 55 mV between absolute SP values obtained by OL and CL techniques, which is attributed to the influence of non-electrostatic contributions to the input of the bias feedback used in CL-KPFM.

Variable temperature electrochemical strain microscopy of Sm-doped ceria

Variable temperature electrochemical strain microscopy has been used to study the electrochemical activity of Sm-doped ceria as a function of temperature and bias. The electrochemical strain microscopy hysteresis loops have been collected across the surface at different temperatures and the relative activity at different temperatures has been compared. The relaxation behavior of the signal at different temperatures has been also evaluated to relate kinetic process during bias induced electrochemical reactions with temperature and two different kinetic regimes have been identified. The strongly non-monotonic dependence of relaxation behavior on temperature is interpreted as evidence for water-mediated mechanisms.

Electrochemical Strain Microscopy: Probing Electrochemical Transformations in Nanoscale Volumes

Electrochemical and electrocatalytic phenomena underpin a broad spectrum of energy, chemical, and information technologies. Examples range from electrocatalytic activation of oxygen reduction reactions in fuel cells, gas-solid reactions, and ionic transport in gas sensors and oxygen pumps, to a wide gamut of electrochemical and transport phenomena in primary and secondary batteries. Equally important is the role of ionic phenomena in information technologies, as exemplified by a recent wave of interest in memristive and electroresisitive information storage and logic devices. This article examines a new type of scanning probe microscopy (SPM), referred to as electrochemical strain microscopy (ESM), that can provide a better understanding of these complex phenomena.

High-frequency electromechanical imaging of ferroelectrics in a liquid environment

The coupling between electrical and mechanical phenomena is a ubiquitous feature of many information and energy storage materials and devices. In addition to involvement in performance and degradation mechanisms, electromechanical effects underpin a broad spectrum of nanoscale imaging and spectroscopies including piezoresponse force and electrochemical strain microscopies. Traditionally, these studies are conducted under ambient conditions. However, applications related to imaging energy storage and electrophysiological phenomena require operation in a liquid phase and therefore the development of electromechanical probing techniques suitable to liquid environments. Due to the relative high conductivity of most liquids and liquid decomposition at low voltages, the transfer of characterization techniques from ambient to liquid is not straightforward. Here we present a detailed study of ferroelectric domain imaging and manipulation in thin film BiFeO(3) using piezoresponse force microscopy in liquid environments as model systems for electromechanical phenomena in general. We explore the use of contact resonance enhancement and the application of multifrequency excitation and detection principles to overcome the experimental problems introduced by a liquid environment. Understanding electromechanical sample characterization in liquid is a key aspect not only for ferroelectric oxides but also for biological and electrochemical sample systems.

Probing surface and bulk electrochemical processes on the LaAlO3-SrTiO3 interface

Local electrochemical phenomena on the surfaces of the LaAlO(3)-SrTiO(3) heterostructure are explored using unipolar and bipolar dynamic electrochemical strain microscopy (D-ESM). The D-ESM suggests the presence of at least two distinct electrochemical processes, including fast reversible low-voltage process and slow high-voltage process. The latter process is associated with static surface deformations in the sub-nanometer regime. These behaviors are compared with Kelvin probe force microscopy hysteresis data. The possible origins of observed phenomena are discussed, and these studies suggest that charge-writing behavior in LAO-STO includes a strong surface/bulk electrochemical component and is more complicated than simple screening by surface adsorbates.

Open-loop band excitation Kelvin probe force microscopy

A multidimensional scanning probe microscopy approach for quantitative, cross-talk free mapping of surface electrostatic properties is demonstrated. Open-loop band excitation Kelvin probe force microscopy (OL BE KPFM) probes the full response-frequency-potential surface at each pixel at standard imaging rates. The subsequent analysis reconstructs work function, tip-surface capacitance gradient and resonant frequency maps, obviating feedback-related artifacts. OL BE KPFM imaging is demonstrated for several materials systems with topographic, potential and combined contrast. This approach combines the features of both frequency and amplitude KPFM and allows complete decoupling of topographic and voltage contributions to the KPFM signal.

Characterization of surface stiffness and probe-sample dissipation using the band excitation method of atomic force microscopy: a numerical analysis

Recently Jesse and co-workers introduced the band excitation atomic force microscopy (BE-AFM) method (Jesse et al 2007 Nanotechnology 18 435503), in which the cantilever probe is excited in a continuum frequency band in order to measure its response at all frequencies in the band. Analysis of the cantilever response using the damped harmonic oscillator model provides information on the stiffness and level of dissipation at the tip-sample junction as the sample is scanned. Since its introduction, this method has been used in magnetic, electromechanical, thermal and molecular unfolding applications, among others, and has given rise to a new family of scanning probe microscopy techniques. Additionally, the concept is applicable to any field in which measurement of the frequency response of harmonic oscillators is relevant. In this paper we present an analytical and numerical analysis of the excitation signals used in BE-AFM, as well as of the cantilever response under different conditions. Our analysis is performed within the context of viscoelastic characterization. We discuss subtleties in the cantilever dynamics, provide guidelines for implementing the method effectively and illustrate the use of simulation in interpreting the results.

Direct mapping of ionic transport in a Si anode on the nanoscale: time domain electrochemical strain spectroscopy study

Local Li-ion transport in amorphous silicon is studied on the nanometer scale using time domain electrochemical strain microscopy (ESM). A strong variability of ionic transport controlled by the anode surface morphology is observed. The observed relaxing and nonrelaxing response components are discussed in terms of local and global ionic transport mechanisms, thus establishing the signal formation mechanisms in ESM. This behavior is further correlated with local conductivity measurements. The implications of these studies for Si-anode batteries are discussed. The universal presence of concentration-strain coupling suggests that ESM and associated time and voltage spectroscopies can be applied to a broad range of electrochemical systems ranging from batteries to fuel cells.