Distortion-free, calibrated LiNbO3 piezoscanner for probe microscopes with atomic resolution

We developed a piezoelectric scanner for probe microscopes that uses only single-domain LiNbO3 crystals as a piezoelectric transducer material in order to avoid nonlinearity, hysteresis, and creep that is always present in piezoelectric ceramics. A raster area of about 50×50 nm2 is within reach of a scanner that uses three double-plate translators and a scanning voltage of 300 V peak to peak. The performance of monocrystal scanners for investigations in the range of atomic resolution is demonstrated by imaging the well-known surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite.