MICROFABRICATION OF A MECHANICALLY CONTROLLABLE BREAK JUNCTION IN SILICON

We present a detailed description of the fabrication and operation at room temperature of a novel type of tunnel displacement transducer. In stead of a feedback system it relies on a large reduction factor assur ing an inherently stable device. Stability measurements in the tunnel regime infer an electrode stability within 3 pm in a 1 kHz bandwidth. In the contact regime the conductance takes on a discrete number of va lues when the constriction is reduced atom by atom. This reflects the conduction through discrete channels. (C) 1995 American Institute of P hysics.