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Abstract
An electric scanning force microscope (EFM) is used in contact mode for the characterization of thin ferroelectric films. The polarization is measured by means of an alternating electric field. The first harmonic signal of the EFM includes the integrated depth distribution of the spontaneous polarization near the surface of the sample. Polarizing characteristics are obtained by changing the de-voltage at the tip. Local values of switchable polarization and local coercive fields are determined from these characteristics. For thin sputtered PZT films appreciable differences of these quantities are found for different crystallites and for the centres of crystallites and for different places on their boundaries.