Electromechanical coupling is one of the fundamental mechanisms underlying the functionality of many materials. These include inorganic, macro-molecular materials and many biological systems. The new Piezo Force Module from Asylum Research enables very high sensitivity, high bias, and crosstalk-free measurements on piezoelectrics (including biological systems in fluid), ferroelectrics and multiferroics. These capabilities are exclusively available on the MFP-3D™ AFM.
In the last decade, piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) has emerged as the preeminent tool for nanoscale imaging, spectroscopy, and manipulation of ferroelectric materials. More recently, these same techniques are finding applications for a wider range of materials including soft polymer and biological materials. In response to these advances, Asylum Research has recently developed the new Piezo Force Module which combines new patent-pending measurement techniques and a unique high voltage capability that significantly expands the range and sensitivity of measurements.
Many measurement techniques have made use of cantilever resonances dating back to the invention of the AFM. Because of topographic crosstalk, this has precluded use in PFM. However, two new patent-pending measurement modes developed by researchers at Asylum Research and their collaborators nearly eliminate crosstalk issues. These modes utilize cantilever resonances which inherently allow higher senstitivity measurements:
These modes avoid the limitations of conventional sinusoidal cantilever excitation while using resonance enhancement to provide new information on local response and energy dissipation which cannot be obtained by standard AFM scanning modes. The large frequency range (1kHz - 2MHz) of the MFP-3D allows imaging both at the static condition, and effective use of several cantilever resonances and use of the inertial stiffening of the cantilever.
The MFP-3D Piezo Force Module accessory enables high voltage PFM measurements and advanced imaging modes for characterizing piezoelectric materials. With the Piezo Force Module, a programmable bias of up to +220 volts is applied to the AFM tip using a proprietary high voltage amplifier, cantilever and sample holder. The amplitude of the response measures the local electromechanical activity of the surface while the phase yields information on the polarization direction. High probing voltages can characterize even the weakest piezoelectric sample and insure that you have the ability to switch even high-coercivity materials.
Polarization dynamics can also be studied with these spectroscopy modes:
These modes provide local measure of such parameters as coercive and nucleation biases, imprint, remanent response, and work of switching (area within the hysteresis loop), for correlation with local microstructure. Combined with the high-voltage module, these allow local polarization switching to be probed even in high-coercivity materials such as electro-optical single crystals.
The Piezo Force Module comes with the following items:
Specifications subject to change.
Accessories