Half-harmonic Kelvin probe force microscopy with transfer function correction

An approach for surface potential imaging based on half-harmonic band excitation (BE) in Kelvin probe force microscopy is demonstrated. Using linear and half-harmonic BE enables quantitative correction of the cantilever transfer function. Half-harmonic band excitation Kelvin probe force microscopy (HBE KPFM) thus allows quantitative separation of surface potential and topographic contributions to the signal, obviating the primary sources of topographic cross-talk. HBE KPFM imaging and voltage spectroscopy methods are illustrated for several model systems. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3684274]