FATTY ACID-BASED MONOELECTRON DEVICE

Nanometer size semiconductor (PbS) particles were synthesized in the f atty acid matrix by exposing the fatty acid salt Langmuir-Blodgett fil ms to an atmosphere of H2S. Realization of the structure: electrode-tu nnelling gap-particle-gap-STM tip allowed one to register monoelectron phenomena, such as Coulomb blockade and Coulomb staircase. Synthesis of the nanoparticle at the tip of a metal stylus allowed one to avoid the necessity of using STM and permitted one to register monoelectron characteristics using only a feedback in one direction perpendicular t o the flat electrode plane. Another phenomenon connected with negative resistance regions in voltage/current characteristics was observed ju st by varying the tip-flat electrode distance. It was found that bulk properties of the particle material do not play a crucial role in the appearance of the monoelectron properties. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science L imited.