Probing the electrical impedance of thin films on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), making use of frequency shifts and piezoelectric stiffening.

Using a temperature-responsive polymer film as an example, it was shown that a conventional quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) can probe a sample's electrical properties in addition to its thickness and softness. The film's electrical impedance was accessed by alternating between the driving voltage being applied to the front electrode and the back electrode. The opposing electrode was grounded in both cases. In the first configuration, the electrical properties of the sample do have an influence on the resonance frequency because of piezoelectric stiffening. In the second, they do not. Using this scheme, it was monitored how the electrical impedance of a film composed of a mixture of poly-N-isopropylacrylamide and polyvinylalcohol changes when the film swells and deswells.