Dynamic-mode AFM using the piezoelectric cantilever: investigations of local optical and electrical properties

We demonstrated applications of a microfabricated cantilever with a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoelectric thin film as an integrated deflection sensor to dynamic-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) and to the related techniques including scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) and Kelvin force microscopy (KFM). In the SNOM measurement, the evanescent light scattered by the tip apex was transmitted through the pyramidal hollow tip of the cantilever and it was detected by a photodetector placed in a confocal arrangement. Furthermore, local surface potential of a ferroelectric film was mapped by KFM using the frequency modulation (FM) detection method. Local poled ferroelectric domains made by the AFM tip were imaged by both SNOM and KFM.