From the discussion of The Inverse Piezoelectric Effect, it is clear that the primary requirement for the cantilevers is their conductivity—cantilevers with a conductive coating should be used for PFM measurements. These include:
Most users perform PFM measurements at frequencies less than 100 kHz. While choosing a cantilever, keep in mind that the resonant frequency of the system should be away from the AC bias frequency, unless explicitly operating near the contact resonance.
In certain cases, highly doped cantilevers may also give reasonable performance. These may be used where a very high lateral resolution is required; however, the performance cannot be guaranteed.
Shorter cantilevers produce more signal for a given sample displacement, but typically have larger spring constants. This can be a problem for soft samples. Bruker MESP-RC probes, with a length of about 125 μm and a spring constant of about 5 N/m, provide a good solution.
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