Dielectric charging by AFM in tip-to-sample space mode: overview and challenges in revealing the appropriate mechanisms

The study of charge distribution on the surface and in the bulk of dielectrics is of great scientific interest because of the information gained on the storage and transport properties of the medium. Nevertheless, the processes at the nanoscale level remain out of the scope of the commonly used diagnostic methods. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is currently applied for both injection and imaging of charges on dielectric thin films at the nanoscale level to answer the increasing demand for characterization of miniaturized components used in microelectronics, telecommunications, electrophotography, electrets, etc. However, the mechanisms for dielectric charging by AFM are not well documented, and an analysis of the literature shows that inappropriate mechanisms are sometimes presented. It is shown here that corona discharge, frequently pointed out as a likely mechanism for dielectric charging by AFM in tip-to-sample space mode, cannot develop in such small distances. Furthermore, a review of different mechanisms surmised to be at the origin of dielectric charging at the nanoscale level is offered. Field electron emission enhanced by thermionic emission is identified as a likely mechanism for dielectric charging at the nanoscale level. Experimental validation of this mechanism is obtained for typical electric field strengths in AFM.