Structural and electrical characterization of gold nanoclusters in thin SiO2 films: Realization of a nanoscale tunnel rectifier
Conductive atomic force microscopy has been used to measure the IV characteristics of nanometric Au clusters embedded in a SiO2 film prepared by sputter deposition and low temperature annealing. Highly local asymmetric rectifier IV characteristics were evidenced and modelled in terms of electrical transport through an asymmetric double barrier tunnel junction SiO2/Au cluster/SiO2. The threshold voltage depends strongly on the cluster size and barrier thickness according to the model given.
gold nanoclusters metal-oxide-semiconductor structures electron conduction scanning probe microscopy