Role of stress on charge transfer through self-assembled alkanethiol monolayers on Au

We have studied charge transfer through alkanethiol molecules self-assembled on Au(111) substrates using interfacial force microscopy. Simultaneous measurement of the tip-substrate current and the normal interfacial force reveals the critical role of tip-film contact. Measurable currents are seen on...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2001-06, Vol.86 (23), p.5357-5360
Main Authors: Son, K A, Kim, H I, Houston, J E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS
FERMI LEVEL
MICROSCOPY
STRESSES
SUBSTRATES
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Summary:We have studied charge transfer through alkanethiol molecules self-assembled on Au(111) substrates using interfacial force microscopy. Simultaneous measurement of the tip-substrate current and the normal interfacial force reveals the critical role of tip-film contact. Measurable currents are seen only for tip-applied stresses above about 20 MPa, after which the current rises exponential with stress. We suggest that charge transfer results from stress-induced band-gap states near the Fermi level in these normally highly insulating molecular films.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.86.5357