3D structure-property correlations of electronic and energy materials by tomographic atomic force microscopy

The ever-increasing complexity in the structure and design of functional materials systems and devices necessitates new imaging approaches with 3D characterization capabilities and nanoscale resolution. This Perspective provides a brief review of the tomographic atomic force microscopy technique and its recent applications in the 3D nanocharacterization of energy and electronic materials including hybrid perovskites, CdTe, and ferroelectric BiFeO₃, and filamentary resistive memories as model systems. We also propose several challenges and opportunities for further developing and applying this emerging approach for investigating fundamental and applied phenomena in a broader scope of functional materials.