Four-probe electrical-transport measurements on single indium tin oxide nanowires between 1.5 and 300 K

Nanotechnology. 2009 Mar 11;20(10):105203. doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/20/10/105203. Epub 2009 Feb 16.

Abstract

Single-crystalline indium tin oxide (ITO) nanowires (NWs) were grown by the standard thermal evaporation method. The as-grown NWs were typically 100-300 nm in diameter and a few microm long. Four-probe submicron Ti/Au electrodes on individual NWs were fabricated by the electron-beam lithography technique. The resistivities of several single NWs have been measured from 300 down to 1.5 K. The results indicate that the as-grown ITO NWs are metallic, but disordered. The overall temperature behavior of resistivity can be described by the Bloch-Grüneisen law plus a low-temperature correction due to the scattering of electrons off dynamic point defects. This observation suggests the existence of numerous dynamic point defects in as-grown ITO NWs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Electric Impedance
  • Electron Transport
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Materials Testing / methods*
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / ultrastructure
  • Nanotechnology / methods*
  • Particle Size
  • Surface Properties
  • Temperature
  • Tin Compounds / chemistry*

Substances

  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Tin Compounds
  • indium tin oxide