title: Electronic properties of hybrid Cu2S/Ru semiconductor/metallic-cage nanoparticles.
abstract: Hybrid inorganic nanoparticles, comprising a semiconducting Cu(2)S quantum-dot (QD) core encapsulated by a metallic Ru cage-like shell, and each of their individual components, are studied via scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Bare Cu(2)S QDs show nearly identical semiconducting-like I-V characteristics while the empty Ru cages exhibit single electron tunneling effects-the Coulomb blockade and staircase. Surprisingly, in some cases negative differential conductance features, with periodicity that correlates to the Coulomb staircase, were observed. The tunneling spectra measured on the hybrid QDs varies greatly along a single particle, manifesting synergetic electrical properties that originate from this unique semiconducting-metallic interface.
authors.affiliation: Racah Institute of Physics and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
authors.forename: Yehonadav
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bekenstein
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vinokurov
authors.forename: Uri
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Banin
authors.forename: Oded
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Millo