Characterization of a template process for conducting cluster-assembled wires

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Materials science & processing, 2009-11, Vol.97 (2), p.315-321
• Main Authors: Reichel, R., Partridge, J. G., Brown, S. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adhesion; Antimony; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Clusters; Condensed Matter Physics; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electric wire; Electrodes; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic transport in multilayers, nanoscale materials and structures; Exact sciences and technology; Machines; Manufacturing; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Methods of nanofabrication; Nanocrystalline materials; Nanopowders; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanoscale pattern formation; Nanotechnology; Nonlinearity; Optical and Electronic Materials; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Polymethyl methacrylates; Processes; Reflection; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-009-5385-x

Bismuth and antimony clusters have been deposited onto spin coated PMMA layers patterned by electron-beam exposure. The probability of reflection or adhesion of the clusters from the PMMA depended on its surface roughness, determined by the electron-beam exposure dose. The Bi and Sb clusters exhibited a significantly higher probability of reflection from unexposed PMMA than from Si 3 N 4 (grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) despite the approximately equal surface roughness of these layers. By exploiting this difference in adhesion/reflection, a cluster-assembled wire was grown between four-point planar electrodes. Four-probe electrical measurements yielded linear current-voltage ( I ( V )) characteristics whilst non-linear I ( V ) characteristics were obtained from two-probe measurements. An established model provided good agreement with two-probe conductance-voltage and resistance-temperature data. Tunneling barriers between the cluster wire and the planar electrodes are believed to have caused the non-linear two-point I ( V ) characteristics.