CHARACTERIZATION AND CONTROL OF DOMAIN-STRUCTURE IN SRBI2TA2O9 THIN-FILMS BY SCANNING FORCE MICROSCOPY

We used the piezoresponse mode of scanning force microscopy (SFM) to p erform the first nanoscale observation of ferroelectric domain structu re in as-grown SrBi2Ta2O9 films. By lowering the loading force down to approximately 1 nN and by keeping the imaging voltage just below the coercive voltage, we managed to obtain a sufficiently high contrast be tween opposite 180 degrees domains without affecting the original doma in structure. Local and large-scale ferroelectric switching with subse quent readout in areas of about 0.01 mu m(2) and 1.5 mu m(2), respecti vely: were carried out by applying pulsed- and dc-voltage bias through the conductive tip.