Scanning probe microscopy imaging of metallic nanocontacts

Abstract

We show scanning probe microscopy measurements of metallic nanocontacts between controlled electromigration cycles. The nanowires used for the thinning process are fabricated by shadow evaporation. The highest resolution obtained using scanning force microscopy is about 3 nm. During the first few electromigration cycles the overall slit structure of the nanocontact is formed. The slit first passes along grain boundaries and then at a later stage vertically splits grains in the course of consuming them. We find that first the whole wire is heated and later during the thinning process as the slit forms the current runs over several smaller contacts which needs less power.

4 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (5)

• Energy levels of few electron quantum dots imaged and characterized by atomic force microscopy
• Feedback controlled electromigration in four-terminal nano-junctions
• Transition Voltage Spectroscopy and the Nature of Vacuum Tunneling
• Gate Coupling to Nanoscale Electronics
• STM-induced surface aggregates on metals and oxidized silicon

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Feedback-controlled electromigration for the fabrication of point contacts
• Unusual resistance-voltage dependence of nanojunctions during electromigration in ultra-high vacuum
• Scaling of intrinsic domain wall magneto-resistance with confinement in electromigrated nanocontacts
• Structure and local charging of electromigrated Au nanocontacts