Use of PtC Nanotips for Low-Voltage Quantum Tunneling Applications
The use of focused ion and focused electron beam (FIB/FEB) technology permits the fabrication of micro- and nanometer scale geometries. Therefore, FIB/FEB technology is a favorable technique for preparing TEM lamellae, nanocontacts, or nanowires and repairing electronic circuits. This work investiga...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Micromachines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/13/7/1019 |
| _version_ | 1797433307661598720 |
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| author | Michael Haub Thomas Guenther Martin Bogner André Zimmermann |
| author_facet | Michael Haub Thomas Guenther Martin Bogner André Zimmermann |
| author_sort | Michael Haub |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The use of focused ion and focused electron beam (FIB/FEB) technology permits the fabrication of micro- and nanometer scale geometries. Therefore, FIB/FEB technology is a favorable technique for preparing TEM lamellae, nanocontacts, or nanowires and repairing electronic circuits. This work investigates FIB/FEB technology as a tool for nanotip fabrication and quantum mechanical tunneling applications at a low tunneling voltage. Using a gas injection system (GIS), the Ga-FIB and FEB technology allows both additive and subtractive fabrication of arbitrary structures. Using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), resistance measurement (RM), and scanning tunneling microscope (STM)/spectroscopy (STS) methods, the tunneling suitability of the utilized metal–organic material–platinum carbon (PtC) is investigated. Thus, to create electrode tips with radii down to 15 nm, a stable and reproducible process has to be developed. The metal–organic microstructure analysis shows suitable FIB parameters for the tunneling effect at high aperture currents (260 pA, 30 kV). These are required to ensure the suitability of the electrodes for the tunneling effect by an increased platinum content (EDX), a low resistivity (RM), and a small band gap (STM). The STM application allows the imaging of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) layers and demonstrates the tunneling suitability of PtC electrodes based on high FIB aperture currents and a low tunneling voltage. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:15:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2b365372f1024b499d9c9b1b0fee25b8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-666X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:15:11Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Micromachines |
| spelling | doaj.art-2b365372f1024b499d9c9b1b0fee25b82023-12-01T22:27:18ZengMDPI AGMicromachines2072-666X2022-06-01137101910.3390/mi13071019Use of PtC Nanotips for Low-Voltage Quantum Tunneling ApplicationsMichael Haub0Thomas Guenther1Martin Bogner2André Zimmermann3Institute for Micro Integration (IFM), University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 9b, 70569 Stuttgart, GermanyInstitute for Micro Integration (IFM), University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 9b, 70569 Stuttgart, GermanyInstitute for Micro Integration (IFM), University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 9b, 70569 Stuttgart, GermanyInstitute for Micro Integration (IFM), University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 9b, 70569 Stuttgart, GermanyThe use of focused ion and focused electron beam (FIB/FEB) technology permits the fabrication of micro- and nanometer scale geometries. Therefore, FIB/FEB technology is a favorable technique for preparing TEM lamellae, nanocontacts, or nanowires and repairing electronic circuits. This work investigates FIB/FEB technology as a tool for nanotip fabrication and quantum mechanical tunneling applications at a low tunneling voltage. Using a gas injection system (GIS), the Ga-FIB and FEB technology allows both additive and subtractive fabrication of arbitrary structures. Using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), resistance measurement (RM), and scanning tunneling microscope (STM)/spectroscopy (STS) methods, the tunneling suitability of the utilized metal–organic material–platinum carbon (PtC) is investigated. Thus, to create electrode tips with radii down to 15 nm, a stable and reproducible process has to be developed. The metal–organic microstructure analysis shows suitable FIB parameters for the tunneling effect at high aperture currents (260 pA, 30 kV). These are required to ensure the suitability of the electrodes for the tunneling effect by an increased platinum content (EDX), a low resistivity (RM), and a small band gap (STM). The STM application allows the imaging of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) layers and demonstrates the tunneling suitability of PtC electrodes based on high FIB aperture currents and a low tunneling voltage.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/13/7/1019quantum tunnelingfocused ion beamFIBfocused electron beamFEBEDX |
| spellingShingle | Michael Haub Thomas Guenther Martin Bogner André Zimmermann Use of PtC Nanotips for Low-Voltage Quantum Tunneling Applications Micromachines quantum tunneling focused ion beam FIB focused electron beam FEB EDX |
| title | Use of PtC Nanotips for Low-Voltage Quantum Tunneling Applications |
| title_full | Use of PtC Nanotips for Low-Voltage Quantum Tunneling Applications |
| title_fullStr | Use of PtC Nanotips for Low-Voltage Quantum Tunneling Applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Use of PtC Nanotips for Low-Voltage Quantum Tunneling Applications |
| title_short | Use of PtC Nanotips for Low-Voltage Quantum Tunneling Applications |
| title_sort | use of ptc nanotips for low voltage quantum tunneling applications |
| topic | quantum tunneling focused ion beam FIB focused electron beam FEB EDX |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/13/7/1019 |
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