Ganesh K Ramachandran et al 2005 Nanotechnology 16 1294 doi:10.1088/0957-4484/16/8/052
Ganesh K Ramachandran1, Monica D Edelstein, David L Blackburn, John S Suehle, Eric M Vogel and Curt A Richter1
Show affiliationsThe formation of gold wires separated by a few nanometres is reported. Such nanometre-separated gaps are formed by ramping, at ambient conditions, a bias voltage across a thin gold wire until the wire breaks or fails. Externally heating the wire does not result in a lowering of the mean bias or current conditions required for creating the break, although electromigration-based models predict rapid decreases in the current required to cause the break. Based on measurements of changes in resistance during the voltage ramp, we determine that the temperature reached in the wires is very large and can approach the melting point of gold. To avoid deleterious effects of such large temperatures on molecules, we recommend here an alternate procedure for utilizing the break protocol in molecular electronics.
Issue 8 (August 2005)
Received 25 February 2005, in final form 7 April 2005
Published 7 June 2005
Ganesh K Ramachandran et al 2005 Nanotechnology 16 1294
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