Scanning tunneling microscopy method for electron transport measurement of individual nanowires

Extending the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) techniques, we have successfully developed a novel approach to make clean electrical contacts to individual semiconductor nanowires to form two-terminal devices for electron transport measurement. This versatile technique avoids contact problems often encountered in lithographically patterned devices due to contamination or damage from high energy electrons or ion beams. The devices made using present technique form reliable Schottky barriers at the semiconductor–metal contacts. Some measurement results based on this type of method will be shown.