Fabrication of carbon nanotube nanogap electrodes by helium ion sputtering for molecular contacts

Journal Article · Mon Mar 10 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4868097· OSTI ID:22257071

Thiele, Cornelius ^[1]; Vieker, Henning; Beyer, André; Gölzhäuser, Armin ^[2]; Flavel, Benjamin S.; Hennrich, Frank ^[1]; Muñoz Torres, David; Eaton, Thomas R. ^[3]; Mayor, Marcel ^[1]; Kappes, Manfred M. ^[1]; Löhneysen, Hilbert v. ^[1]; others, and

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1. Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany)
2. Faculty of Physics, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld (Germany)
3. Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, 4056 Basel (Switzerland)

Carbon nanotube nanogaps have been used to contact individual organic molecules. However, the reliable fabrication of a truly nanometer-sized gap remains a challenge. We use helium ion beam lithography to sputter nanogaps of only (2.8 ± 0.6) nm size into single metallic carbon nanotubes embedded in a device geometry. The high reproducibility of the gap size formation provides a reliable nanogap electrode testbed for contacting small organic molecules. To demonstrate the functionality of these nanogap electrodes, we integrate oligo(phenylene ethynylene) molecular rods, and measure resistance before and after gap formation and with and without contacted molecules.

• OSTI ID: 22257071
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 104, Issue 10; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
CARBON NANOTUBES
ELECTRODES
HELIUM IONS
SPUTTERING