Abstract
We report comparative measurements of the piezoelectric coefficient
d
33
of a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) film by piezoresponse force microscopy based on tip/PZT/electrode and tip/electrode/PZT/electrode configurations. With the use of electrically characterized Au-coated tips, the obtained values are in good agreement and indicate a negligible methodological effect. It is concluded that the
d
33
can be reasonably determined without the use of a top electrode as long as the electrical quality of the tip is qualified.