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Nanowire
research
We are interested in the electrical properties of metal wires with
cross-sectional dimensions below 100 nm. This is of interest due
to the fact that at such lengthscales, we start to directly see the
effects of the mean-free path of electrons. The specific topics
we are working on are:
- Size dependence on
resistivity : we
have experimentally and theoretically investigated the dependence
of size and microstructure on the electrical resistivity of gold
nanowires, and found that surface scattering plays as important a role
as grain size.
- Electromigration
: we
have determined the factors influencing electromigration-induced
failure in metallic nanowires, relevant in the near-future as
interconnects in microprocessors are already below the micron scale.
- Nanogap formation : we
have recently developed a technique for the reproducible formation
of
1-2 nm nanogaps in gold and gold-palladium nanowires, which is a
scaleable process which can be used for molecular electronics
applications.
- Modelling :
we
have developed a simple analytical model describing electromigration
and Joule heating in current-stressed nanowire devices, as well as a
model for the size dependence of resistivity in nanostructures.
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