Piezoresponse force microscopy is a powerful technique for nm-scale studies but is usually limited by response time. In this Letter, we report the first direct studies of ferroelectric capacitor switching on a submicrosecond time scale. Simultaneous domain imaging and sub-$\mu \mathrm{s}$ transient current measurements establish a direct relationship between polarization $P(t)$ and domain kinetics. Switching times scale with capacitor size over an order of magnitude. Small capacitors, where polarization reversal is dominated by domain wall motion, switch faster at high fields but more slowly at low fields while larger capacitors do the reverse.

• Received 12 September 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.097601