TRANSPORT IN GOLD CLUSTER STRUCTURES DEFINED BY ELECTRON-BEAM LITHOGRAPHY

The near-room temperature current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of sma ll structures made from the metal-cluster material Au-55[P(C6H5)(3)](1 2)Cl-6 were studied. It is shown that these electron-beam defined stru ctures have highly nonlinear characteristics with features, including a threshold voltage and scaling behavior, which are consistent with Co ulomb charging of individual Au-55 cores in a disordered array. Applie d radio frequency signals introduce plateaus in the I-V characteristic s, which demonstrates the presence of coherent tunneling in these clus ter systems. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.