A mobile microcell for measuring the electrical characteristics of individual nanowires and nanotubes

Abstract

A mobile measuring cell was proposed and created using a focused ion beam as a nanoknife for measuring the electrical characteristics of individual nanowires and nanotubes by the four-wire method. The cell consists of two elements: the basic one, on whose surface a nanoconductor is deposited, and the auxiliary element that provides the electrical connection of the primary element to the wires of the external measuring circuit. Micro- and nanoscale wires in both elements of the cell were formed from gold films deposited on a silicon oxide surface. This provides reliable contacts between a nanoobject and the wires. In this paper, the application of the proposed method was demonstrated using examples of a multiwalled carbon nanotube and a thin platinum nanowire. The electrical resistance of the nanotube was measured using the two-wire method, whereas the current–voltage characteristic for the platinum nanowire was measured via the fourwire method.