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Electronic Transport on the Nanoscale

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Atomic Scale Interconnection Machines

Part of the book series: Advances in Atom and Single Molecule Machines ((AASMM))

Abstract

A scanning tunneling microscope with several tips is ideally suited to analyze the electronic transport through objects on the nanoscale. Two different configurations will be discussed. The lateral transport of electrons may be studied by using two tips to drive a current parallel to the surface. A third tip enables to map the corresponding electrochemical potential μ ec. Measurements for a 2D conducting layer will be discussed. To analyze the transport perpendicular to the surface, a thin metallic layer is placed on a semiconducting surface. At the interface a Schottky barrier is formed, which can only be overcome by electrons of sufficient energy. This may be used to split the tunneling current coming from the tip of the microscope, into the ballistic electrons and the electrons which underwent inelastic scattering processes. This technique has been applied to study the ballistic transport of electrons through a thin epitaxial Bi(111) layer as well as through individual molecules.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    To conduct “BEEM”, tunneling currents between 10 and 50 pA were chosen as a compromise between the threshold for damaging the molecular layer and a reasonable signal to noise ratio for the current of ballistic electrons. At a tunneling current of 50 pA the BEEM current typically amounts to 4 pA on the clean bismuth surface and to 0.5 pA for most of the C60 molecules or to 3 pA for the PTCDA molecules.

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Acknowledgments

The work has been supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) through the Sonderforschungsbereich 616 “Energy Dissipation at Surfaces”. Additional support to M.C.C. is granted by the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes. D. Utzat is gratefully acknowledged for designing and constructing the STM electronics. We gratefully acknowledge M. Wenderoth for stimulating discussions and providing the simulations for the Ohmic network.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Physics, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany

    C. A. Bobisch, A. M. Bernhart, M. R. Kaspers, M. C. Cottin, J. Schaffert & R. Möller

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  1. C. A. Bobisch
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  2. A. M. Bernhart
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  3. M. R. Kaspers
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  4. M. C. Cottin
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  5. J. Schaffert
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  6. R. Möller
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Correspondence to R. Möller .

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  1. , GNS, CNRS, Rue J. Marvig 29, Toulouse Cedex, 31055, France

    Christian Joachim

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Bobisch, C.A., Bernhart, A.M., Kaspers, M.R., Cottin, M.C., Schaffert, J., Möller, R. (2012). Electronic Transport on the Nanoscale. In: Joachim, C. (eds) Atomic Scale Interconnection Machines. Advances in Atom and Single Molecule Machines. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28172-3_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28172-3_15

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