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

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied physics letters 2014-03, Vol.104 (10), p.103102
Main Authors: Thiele, Cornelius, Vieker, Henning, Beyer, André, Flavel, Benjamin S., Hennrich, Frank, Muñoz Torres, David, Eaton, Thomas R., Mayor, Marcel, Kappes, Manfred M., Gölzhäuser, Armin, Löhneysen, Hilbert v., Krupke, Ralph
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied physics
Carbon
CARBON NANOTUBES
ELECTRODES
HELIUM IONS
MATERIALS SCIENCE
NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
Organic chemistry
Reproducibility
SPUTTERING
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0003-6951
1077-3118
DOI:10.1063/1.4868097