title: Formation and rupture of Schottky nanocontacts on ZnO nanocolumns.
abstract: In this paper, the electrical transport and mechanical properties of Pt/ZnO Schottky nanocontacts have been studied simultaneously during the formation and rupture of the nanocontacts. By combining multidimensional conducting scanning force spectroscopy with appropriated data processing, the physical relevant parameters (the ideality factor, the Schottky barrier height, and the rupture voltage) are obtained. It has been found that the transport curves strongly depend on the loading force. For loading forces higher than a threshold value, the transport characteristics are similar to those of large-area Schottky contact, while below this threshold deviations from strictly thermionic emission are detected. Above the threshold, stable and reproducible Pt/ZnO nanocontacts with ideality factors of about 2 and Schottky barrier heights of around 0.45 eV have been obtained.
authors.affiliation: Dep. Física, Edificio CIOyN (Campus Espinardo), Universidad de Murcia, E-30100 Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pérez-García
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zúñiga-Pérez
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Sanjosé
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Colchero
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palacios-Lidón
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008839:Microelectrodes; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010316:Particle Size; D012666:Semiconductors; D013499:Surface Properties; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D015034:Zinc Oxide