PARALLEL FABRICATION AND SINGLE-ELECTRON CHARGING OF DEVICES BASED ONORDERED, 2-DIMENSIONAL PHASES OF ORGANICALLY FUNCTIONALIZED METAL NANOCRYSTALS

A parallel technique for fabricating single-electron, solid-state capa citance devices from ordered, two-dimensional closest-packed phases of organically functionalized metal nanocrystals is presented. The nanoc rystal phases were prepared as Langmuir monolayers and subsequently tr ansferred onto Al-electrode patterned glass substrates for device cons truction. Alternating current impedance measurements were carried out to probe the single-electron charging characteristics of the devices u nder both ambient and 77 K conditions. Evidence of a Coulomb blockade and step structure reminiscent of a Coulomb staircase is presented. (C ) 1997 American Institute of Physics.