Determination of the dielectric constant of non-planar nanostructures and single nanoparticles by Electrostatic Force Microscopy

Electrostatic Force Microscopy has been proven to be a precise and versatile tool to perform quantitative measurements of the dielectric constants of nanoparticles and thin film structures. In this work, an alternative approach based on direct current (DC) linear lift mode is presented. The difference to conventional lift mode measurements is based on the elimination of topographical influences in electrostatic field measurements. Thus, the electrostatic potential penetrating the dielectric material remains constant to accurately predict field changes based solely on the dielectric properties. Measurements of polystyrene (PS), polylactide (PLA) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) nanoparticles show that the presented technique can detect differences in dielectric constants based on material properties.