Regensburg 2007 – scientific programme

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DF: Fachverband Dielektrische Festkörper

DF 3: Relaxor Ferroelectrics

DF 3.7: Talk

Monday, March 26, 2007, 16:50–17:10, H11

Characterization of piezo ceramics on the nanoscale by Conducting AFM — Yue Hou, •Andrei Andreev, and Christian Teichert — Institute for Physics, University of Leoben, Franz-Josef-Str., 18, A-8700 Leoben, Austria

The Conducting Atomic-Force Microscope (C-AFM) is a conventional AFM working in contact mode, where the usual AFM tip is replaced by a conductive tip. Between the tip and the sample a voltage is applied and the resulting current is measured using a special amplification circuit. The C-AFM is well known as a valuable tool for nanometer scale electric characterization of very thin oxide layers [1,2].

In this work we demonstrate the analytical capabilities of C-AFM technique for spatially resolved electrical investigations of cross sectional piezo ceramic samples (PZT). The applicability of C-AFM for the characterization (2D lateral current mapping and local I-V curves) of such complex nanostructures is presented and discussed in terms of electrical active grain boundaries in the ceramic matrix in the vicinity of the metal electrodes.

[1] S. Kremmer, S. Peissl, C. Teichert, F. Kuchar, H. Hofer, Mat. Sci. Eng. B102 (2003), 88.

[2] S. Kremmer, H. Wurmbauer, C. Teichert, G. Tallarida, S. Spiga, C. Wiemer, M. Fanciulli, J. Appl. Phys. 97/7 (2005), 74315-1-7.