Conductance of atomic-scale gold contacts under high-bias voltages

Hiroshi Yasuda; Akira Sakai

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.56.1069

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Conductance of atomic-scale gold contacts under high-bias voltages

Hiroshi Yasuda and Akira Sakai

Mesoscopic Materials Research Center, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-01 Japan

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Phys. Rev. B 56, 1069 – Published 15 July, 1997

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.56.1069

Abstract

The conductance of atomic-scale gold contacts has been studied experimentally as a function of bias voltage. At low voltages, the conductance histogram shows a pronounced peak at $G_{0} {= 2 e}^{2} / h$ and broad peaks near 2 $G_{0}$ and 3 $G_{0} .$ With increasing the bias voltage, these peaks decrease in height and disappear at some critical voltage. The 1 $G_{0}$ peak is found to disappear at 1.9 V at room temperature, which corresponds to a critical current of 137 μA. At liquid-nitrogen temperature, the critical voltage and current slightly increases to 2.2 V and 165 μA, respectively. The observed disappearance of the conductance peaks can be interpreted as a contact instability due to the electromigration of contact atoms induced by a high current density.

References (22)

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[c1] N. Agräit, J. G. Rodrigo, and S. Vieira, Phys. Rev. B 47, 12 345 (1993).

[c2] J. I. Pascual, J. Méndez, J. Gómez-Herrero, A. M. Baró, N. García, and Vu Thien Binh, Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 1852 (1993); J. I. Pascual, J. Méndez, J. Gómez-Herrero, A. M. Baró, N. García, Uzi Landman, W. D. Luedtke, E. N. Bogachek, and H. -P. Cheng, Science 267, 1793 (1995).

[c3] L. Olesen, E. Laesgarrd, I. Stensgaard, F. Besenbacher, J. Schiøtz, P. Stolze, K. W. Jacobsen, and J. K. Nørskov, Phys. Rev. Lett. 72, 2251 (1994); M. Brandbyge, J. Schiøtz, M. R. Sorensen, P. Stolze, K. W. Jacobsen, J. K. Nørskov, L. Olesen, E. Laesgarrd, I. Stensgaard, and F. Besenbacher, Phys. Rev. B 52, 8499 (1995).

[c4] D. P. E. Smith, Science 269, 371 (1995).

[c5] G. Rubio, N. Agraït, and S. Vieira, Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 2302 (1996); N. Agraït, G. Rubio, and S. Vieira, 74, 3995 (1995).

[c6] A. Stalder and U. Dürig, Appl. Phys. Lett. 68, 637 (1996); J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 14, 1259 (1996).

[c7] J. M. Krans, C. J. Muller, I. K. Yanson, Th. C. M. Govaert, R. Hesper, and J. M. van Ruitenbeek, Phys. Rev. B 48, 14 721 (1993); J. M. Krans, J. M. van Ruitenbeek, V. V. Fisun, I. K. Yanson, and L. J. de Jongh, Nature (London) 375, 767 (1995).

[c8] C. J. Muller, J. M. Krans, T. N. Todorov, and M. A. Reed, Phys. Rev. B 53, 1022 (1996).

[c9] J. L. Costa-Krämer, N. García, P. García-Mochales, and P. A. Serena, Surf. Sci. 342, L1 144 (1995).

[c10] U. Landman, W. D. Luedtke, B. E. Salisbury, and R. L. Whetten, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 1362 (1996).

[c11] U. Landman, W. D. Luedtke, N. A. Burnham, and R. J. Colton, Science 248, 454 (1990).

[c12] T. N. Todorov and A. P. Sutton, Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 2138 (1993); Phys. Rev. B 54, R14 234 (1996).

[c13] A. M. Bratkovsky, A. P. Sutton, and T. N. Todorov, Phys. Rev. B 52, 5036 (1995).

[c14] J. A. Torres and J. J. Sáenz, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 2245 (1996).

[c15] H. Yasuda and A. Sakai, J. Korean Phys. Soc. (to be published).

[c16] J. L. Costa-Krämer, N. García, P. García-Mochales, P. A. Serena, M. I. Marqués, and A. Correia, Phys. Rev. B 55, 5416 (1997); J. L. Costa-Krämer, 55, R4875 (1997).

[c17] L. P. Kouwenhoven, B. J. van Wees, C. J. P. M. Harmans, J. G. Williamson, H. van Houten, C. J. W. Beenakker, C. T. Foxon, and J. J. Harris, Phys. Rev. B 39, 8040 (1989).

[c18] R. Taboryski, A. Kristensen, C. B. Sørensen, and P. E. Lindelof, Phys. Rev. B 51, 2282 (1995).

[c19] H. B. Huntington, in Diffusion in Solids: Recent Developments, edited by A. S. Nowick and J. J. Burton (Academic, New York, 1975).

[c20] R. S. Sorbello, Phys. Rev. B 39, 4984 (1989).

[c21] K. S. Ralls, D. C. Ralph, and R. A. Buhrman, Phys. Rev. B 40, 11 561 (1989).

[c22] P. A. M. Holweg, J. Caro, A. H. Vergruggen, and S. Radelaar, Phys. Rev. B 45, 9311 (1992).

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Conductance of atomic-scale gold contacts under high-bias voltages

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