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Charge injection and decay of nanoscale dielectric films resolved via dynamic scanning probe microscopy
Author(s) -
Moran Thomas J.,
Suzuki Keigo,
Hosokura Tadasu,
Khaetskii Alexander,
Huey Bryan D.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/jace.17776
Subject(s) - materials science , kelvin probe force microscope , dielectric , nanoscopic scale , capacitor , dissipation , electrostatic force microscope , microelectronics , optoelectronics , barium titanate , nanotechnology , microstructure , ceramic , surface charge , composite material , voltage , electrical engineering , atomic force microscopy , chemistry , physics , engineering , thermodynamics
To satisfy continual demands for higher performance dielectrics in multi‐layer ceramic capacitors and related microelectronic devices, novel characterization methods are necessary for mapping materials properties down to the nanoscale, where enabling materials developments are increasingly relevant. Accordingly, an atomic force microscopy‐based approach is implemented for characterizing insulator performance based on the mapping of discharging dynamics. Following surface charging by biasing a conducting tip contacting a dielectric surface, consecutive non‐contact Kelvin force surface potential mapping (KPFM) reveals charge dissipation via exponential decay. In barium titanate (BTO) thin films engineered with distinct microstructures but identical thicknesses, discharging rates vary by up to a factor of 2, with smaller grain size correlating to longer dissipation times, providing insight into optimal microstructures for improved capacitor performance. High‐resolution potential mapping as a function of time thereby provides a route for directly investigating charge injection and discharging mechanisms in dielectrics, which are increasingly engineered down to the nanoscale and have global implications given the trillions of such devices manufactured each year.