Electrical characterization of organic solar cell materials based on scanning force microscopy

The application of electrical modes in scanning probe microscopy helps to understand the electrical function of materials that are structured on the nanometer scale. Scanning force microscopes are routinely used for the investigation of surface topography. Here we accentuate the use of electrical modes that are unique for the correlation of structural and electric information on a nanometer scale. This is particularly important for analyzing organic solar cell materials. A special focus is given to experiments aiming at the investigation of light-induced processes which requires the integration of an additional light source into the scanning force microscope setup. Furthermore, we address future challenges for scanning force microscopy investigation of electrical properties of soft matter materials. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.