title: Characterizing the metal-SAM interface in tunneling junctions.
abstract: This paper investigates the influence of the interface between a gold or silver metal electrode and an n-alkyl SAM (supported on that electrode) on the rate of charge transport across junctions with structure Met(Au or Ag)(TS)/A(CH2)nH//Ga2O3/EGaIn by comparing measurements of current density, J(V), for Met/AR = Au/thiolate (Au/SR), Ag/thiolate (Ag/SR), Ag/carboxylate (Ag/O2CR), and Au/acetylene (Au/C≡CR), where R is an n-alkyl group. Values of J0 and β (from the Simmons equation) were indistinguishable for these four interfaces. Since the anchoring groups, A, have large differences in their physical and electronic properties, the observation that they are indistinguishable in their influence on the injection current, J0 (V = 0.5) indicates that these four Met/A interfaces do not contribute to the shape of the tunneling barrier in a way that influences J(V).
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University , 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States.
authors.forename: Carleen M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bowers
authors.forename: Kung-Ching
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zaba
authors.forename: Dmitrij
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rappoport
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baghbanzadeh
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Breiten
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krzykawska
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cyganik
authors.forename: George M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Whitesides
keywords: EGaIn; alkynes; charge transport; molecular electronics; self-assembled monolayer