AVS 47th International Symposium
    Electronics Tuesday Sessions
       Session EL+NS-TuA

Paper EL+NS-TuA9
Bistability in Conductance of Point Contact formed between a Metal Tip and Ga-terminated Si(111)

Tuesday, October 3, 2000, 4:40 pm, Room 312

Session: Nanoelectronics
Presenter: S.L. Pryadkin, Rowland Institute for Science
Authors: S.L. Pryadkin, Rowland Institute for Science
D. Chen, Rowland Institute for Science
Correspondent: Click to Email
Recently, it has been found that voltage-current dependence of a tunnel junction formed by an STM tip and a Ga terminated Si(111) surface exhibits large hysteresis at 77K, similar to that of a double barrier structure.@footnote 1@ This new finding raises the possibility of creating nanoscale storage and switching devices, compatible with silicon technology. To further explore this potential, we have studied the effects of temperature and dopping. It is found that the hystersis exists in a wide range of temperature. Moreover, when the tip is brought to a point contact with the surface, it still gives rise to the bistable transport. This allows us to simplify the junction structure even further and to determine the timing characteristics of this new nanoscale switching/storage device. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@ I.B.Altfeder, D.M.Chen Phys.Rev.Lett. 84, p.1284(2000).