Coulomb blockade and discrete energy levels in Au nanoparticles

We describe a fabrication technique in which a nanoscale Au grain is connec ted to two Cr electrodes. Electron transport in our samples can be fitted t o orthodox theory of single electron tunneling on a single particle. In one sample, we can resolve additional steps in current, which are interpreted as discrete quantum states of electrons added to the grain. (C) 1998 Americ an Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(98)04852-9].