B Gao et al 2009 Nanotechnology 20 415207 doi:10.1088/0957-4484/20/41/415207
B Gao, E A Osorio, K Babaei Gaven and H S J van der Zant
Show affiliationsWe have fabricated nanometer-spaced electrodes on electron-transparent silicon nitride membranes. A thin Cr/Au layer is evaporated on the backside of the membrane which serves as a gate electrode. Using these devices, we have performed three-terminal electron transport measurements on gold nano-particles at liquid helium temperature. Coulomb Blockade features have been observed and the capacitance to the gate has been extracted. After transport measurements, the Cr/Au back gate is removed and the devices are inspected with a transmission-electron microscope (TEM). TEM inspection reveals the presence of a few nano-particles in the nanogap, which is in agreement with the transport measurements. In addition, the nano-particle size as observed by TEM coincides with the one estimated from the gate capacitance value.
73.63.Bd Nanocrystalline materials
73.23.Hk Coulomb blockade; single-electron tunneling
81.16.-c Methods of nanofabrication and processing
Issue 41 (14 October 2009)
Received 12 June 2009, in final form 17 August 2009
Published 18 September 2009
B Gao et al 2009 Nanotechnology 20 415207
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