Giant field effect in self-assembled metallo-organic nanoscale networks

Journal article, 2005

Three-terminal devices have been produced by self-assembly of chemically stabilized gold clusters of 5–7 nm in diameter in a nanogap between the source and drain electrodes on top of an electrostatic gate made of oxidized aluminium. The conductivity of the devices with the agglomerates of clusters, self-assembled in the gap, was modulated substantially by the electric field of the gate. The effect is attributed to the mechanical deformation of the organic tunneling barriers between the gold clusters under the influence of Coulomb forces. A peculiar interplay between the mechanical deformations caused by the gate and the source-drain voltages leads to unusual current-voltage characteristics of the devices. A phenomenological theory based on these ideas has been developed.