9.1% efficient zinc oxide/silicon solar cells on a 50 μm thick Si absorber

• Rafal Pietruszka,
• Bartlomiej S. Witkowski,
• Monika Ozga,
• Katarzyna Gwozdz,
• Ewa Placzek-Popko and
• Marek Godlewski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 766–774, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.60

• hole of 0.1 cm in diameter was placed on the samples. Then, Al was deposited on top via sputtering. The simple point contact was used on top of the structure. To improve the light collection from full-size ZnO/Si SCs, grid-like contacts should be used. The resulting solar cell structures are shown in

Impact of GaAs(100) surface preparation on EQE of AZO/Al₂O₃/p-GaAs photovoltaic structures

• Piotr Caban,
• Rafał Pietruszka,
• Jarosław Kaszewski,
• Monika Ożga,
• Bartłomiej S. Witkowski,
• Krzysztof Kopalko,
• Piotr Kuźmiuk,
• Katarzyna Gwóźdź,
• Ewa Płaczek-Popko,
• Krystyna Lawniczak-Jablonska and
• Marek Godlewski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 578–592, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.48

• -cycles. Each multi-cycle, in turn, consisted of one aluminum oxide creation cycle (TMA + H2O) and 24 cycles of zinc oxide deposition (diethylzinc/Zn(C2H5)2, DEZ, CAS:557-20-0) + H2O [2]. In the final fabrication process, a top point contact was deposited (70 nm) by aluminum-target sputtering (Kurt J

Selective detection of complex gas mixtures using point contacts: concept, method and tools

• Alexander P. Pospelov,
• Victor I. Belan,
• Dmytro O. Harbuz,
• Volodymyr L. Vakula,
• Lyudmila V. Kamarchuk,
• Yuliya V. Volkova and
• Gennadii V. Kamarchuk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1631–1643, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.146

• 10.3762/bjnano.11.146 Abstract Of all modern nanosensors using the principle of measuring variations in electric conductance, point-contact sensors stand out in having a number of original sensor properties not manifested by their analogues. The nontrivial nature of point-contact sensors is based on the

• potential of quantum point-contact sensors to selectively detect components of a gas mixture in real time. To demonstrate the high efficiency of the proposed approach, we analyze the human breath, which is the most complex of the currently known natural gas mixtures with extremely low concentrations of its

• components. Point-contact sensors allow us to obtain a spectroscopic profile of the mixture. This profile contains information about the complete set of energy interactions occurring in the point contact/breath system when the breath constituents adsorb to and desorb from the surface of the point-contact

Proximity effect in [Nb(1.5 nm)/Fe(x)]₁₀/Nb(50 nm) superconductor/ferromagnet heterostructures

• Yury Khaydukov,
• Sabine Pütter,
• Laura Guasco,
• Roman Morari,
• Gideok Kim,
• Thomas Keller,
• Anatolie Sidorenko and
• Bernhard Keimer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1254–1263, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.109

• metallic springs touching the surface of the sample. The tension of the springs is sufficiently high to ensure good contact with the sample surface and to measure the resistivity using a standard four-point contact method. The setup is designed to enable simultaneous PNR and transport experiments, though

Electromigration-induced directional steps towards the formation of single atomic Ag contacts

• Atasi Chatterjee,
• Christoph Tegenkamp and
• Herbert Pfnür

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 680–687, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.55

• structures and at grain boundaries. Nevertheless, we showed recently that it can be used reliably for the formation of single atomic point contacts after careful pre-structuring of the initial Ag nanostructures. The process of formation of nanocontacts by EM down to a single-atom point contact was

• constrictions of around 150 nm having multiple grains at the centre constriction prior to the formation of a point contact. Even though clear morphological differences exist between both types of structures, quantized conductance plateaus showing the formation of single point contacts have been observed for

• both. Here we put emphasis on the thinning process by EM, just before a point contact is formed. To understand this thinning process, the semi-classical regime before the contact reaches the quantum regime was analyzed in detail. For this purpose, we used experimental conductance histograms in the

Nanosecond resistive switching in Ag/AgI/PtIr nanojunctions

• Botond Sánta,
• Dániel Molnár,
• Patrick Haiber,
• Agnes Gubicza,
• Edit Szilágyi,
• Zsolt Zolnai,
• András Halbritter and
• Miklós Csontos

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 92–100, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.9

• electric-field-driven redistribution of only a small amount of highly mobile ionic species upon resistive switching. We investigate the memristive behavior of a so-far less explored representative of this class, the Ag/AgI material system in a point contact arrangement established by the conducting PtIr

Superconducting switching due to a triplet component in the Pb/Cu/Ni/Cu/Co₂Cr_1−xFe_xAl_y spin-valve structure

• Andrey Andreevich Kamashev,
• Nadir Nurgayazovich Garif’yanov,
• Aidar Azatovich Validov,
• Joachim Schumann,
• Vladislav Kataev,
• Bernd Büchner,
• Yakov Victorovich Fominov and
• Ilgiz Abdulsamatovich Garifullin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1458–1463, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.144

• generalize the results of the pioneering work by Singh and co-workers [14]. Previously, we have shown the advantages of using the Heusler alloy (HA) Co2Cr1−xFexAly as a weak ferromagnet in the F2 layer of the F1/F2/S SSV structure [15]. Therefore, instead of CrO2, which in accordance with the data on point

• contact spectroscopy [16], has a 90% polarization of the conduction band, we have chosen as a drawing layer for LRTC the HA Co2Cr1−xFexAly with a spin polarization of the conduction band of ≥70% [17] and instead of MoGe as an S layer we have used the elemental superconductor Pb. Sample Preparation and

Intuitive human interface to a scanning tunnelling microscope: observation of parity oscillations for a single atomic chain

• Sumit Tewari,
• Jacob Bakermans,
• Christian Wagner,
• Federica Galli and
• Jan M. van Ruitenbeek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 337–348, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.33

• refer to as point contact pushing (PCP) technique. Keywords: adatom imaging; mechanical annealing; scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM); STM tip; tip apex; Introduction It is of fundamental interest both for chemists and physicists to study the electronic transport through single atoms and molecules

• preparing the real-time MD simulation. After that we report on using this system for a new lateral manipulation methodology that we refer to as point contact pushing (PCP) technique, followed by a 3D trajectory that enabled us to lift in a controlled way a chain of gold atoms above a metal surface. These

• investigation (Figure 2b) by establishing point contact with the surface using the STM tip at 100 mV bias. The STM tips used in the experiments are hand-cut PtIr tips that get covered by Au atoms on indentation of the surface. Real-time molecular dynamic simulation A conventional atomic manipulation operation

Recent highlights in nanoscale and mesoscale friction

• Andrea Vanossi,
• Dirk Dietzel,
• Andre Schirmeisen,
• Ernst Meyer,
• Rémy Pawlak,
• Thilo Glatzel,
• Marcin Kisiel,
• Shigeki Kawai and
• Nicola Manini

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1995–2014, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.190

• and the surface plays an important role in the formation of the single-point contact with the copper surface. Of the many internal degrees of freedom of a porphyrin molecule, the σ-bond connecting the porphyrin leg in contact to the surface to the macrocycle was postulated to be the dominant molecular

A zero-dimensional topologically nontrivial state in a superconducting quantum dot

• Pasquale Marra,
• Alessandro Braggio and
• Roberta Citro

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1705–1714, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.162

• current–phase discontinuity of a quantum point contact [71]. However, in this case the discontinuity does not correspond to a topological transition. The presence of a small Coulomb interaction does not affect the Josephson current at zero temperature in the trivial and non-trivial branches of the CPR

Josephson effect in junctions of conventional and topological superconductors

• Alex Zazunov,
• Albert Iks,
• Miguel Alvarado,
• Alfredo Levy Yeyati and
• Reinhold Egger

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1659–1676, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.158

• this analogy in more detail later on. We consider a conventional single-channel SAC (gap Δ) coupled via a point contact to a TS wire (gap Δp), cf. Figure 1b. The superconducting phase difference across the SAC is denoted by where is the phase difference between the respective S arm (j = 1,2) and the

Nanoscale electrochemical response of lithium-ion cathodes: a combined study using C-AFM and SIMS

• Jonathan Op de Beeck,
• Nouha Labyedh,
• Alfonso Sepúlveda,
• Valentina Spampinato,
• Alexis Franquet,
• Thierry Conard,
• Philippe M. Vereecken,
• Wilfried Vandervorst and
• Umberto Celano

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1623–1628, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.154

• which, if mobile, start to accumulate at the tip–sample interface. As shown in Figure 2, such local accumulation of Li locally induces a non-volatile change in resistance under the tip. While this effect is visible in Figure 1 for the (squared) regions we show the effect in a local point-contact I–V

Robust procedure for creating and characterizing the atomic structure of scanning tunneling microscope tips

• Sumit Tewari,
• Koen M. Bastiaans,
• Milan P. Allan and
• Jan M. van Ruitenbeek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2389–2395, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.238

• -atom point contact in Au [27]), followed by tip retraction back into the tunneling regime. This procedure leaves, with high success rate, a single Au adatom on the surface. The result is imaged in the usual topographic mode of STM shown as an inset in Figure 3a, which demonstrates that the adatom does

Copper atomic-scale transistors

• Fangqing Xie,
• Maryna N. Kavalenka,
• Moritz Röger,
• Daniel Albrecht,
• Hendrik Hölscher,
• Jürgen Leuthold and
• Thomas Schimmel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 530–538, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.57

• atomic-scale transistor with a copper quantum point contact as switching block. The fabrication and electron-transport properties of metallic point contacts have been investigated both experimentally and theoretically [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41]. The

• deposition of the copper point-contact between two microfabricated gold electrodes (source and drain), and a thin copper film on a gate electrode. Its electrochemical operation parameters are explored systematically. Results and Discussion The fabrication of copper atomic-scale transistor consists of three

• . Consequently, the gap between the two electrodes becomes narrower until, finally, a copper point contact is formed in the gap. The deposition continues for additional 20 min to stabilize the point contact. Simultaneously, a copper film is deposited on the gate electrode by grounding the gate electrode. After

Coupled molecular and cantilever dynamics model for frequency-modulated atomic force microscopy

• Michael Klocke and
• Dietrich E. Wolf

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 708–720, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.63

• between tip and substrate is switched on. However, the point contact force between tip and substrate also increases with ε, hence also its lateral components, if there are any. In fact the total potential energy of substrate and tip has a lower symmetry than for the substrate or the tip separately. This

Probing the local environment of a single OPE3 molecule using inelastic tunneling electron spectroscopy

• Riccardo Frisenda,
• Mickael L. Perrin and
• Herre S. J. van der Zant

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2477–2484, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.257

• from the metallic regime (conductance > 20G0) and after having broken the gold quantum point contact we formed a molecular junction. During the stretching of this junction, for each electrode position, 250 IVs were recorded and the IETS master-curve was extracted. In between two IETS spectra, the

Nano-contact microscopy of supracrystals

• Adam Sweetman,
• Nicolas Goubet,
• Ioannis Lekkas,
• Marie Paule Pileni and
• Philip Moriarty

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1229–1236, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.126

• tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy. Keywords: dynamic force microscopy; nanoparticle; non-contact atomic force microscopy; point contact imaging; scanning probe microscopy; supracrystal; Introduction Artificial solids comprising extended assemblies of nanocrystals with a narrow size distribution

• exploited in conventional tunnelling microscopy. The possibility of atomic scale point-contact imaging in STM was recognised by Smith et al. almost three decades ago [22], and in the intervening years, the relationship between the variation in the tunnel current and the tip–sample force as a function of

• probe displacement has been studied in considerable detail [23][24][25][26][27]. A recent review [28] outlines key developments in point-contact measurements, including the quantum point-contact microscopy strategy introduced by Zhang et al. [29]. State-of-the-art qPlus DFM, where both intra- [30][31

Probing the electronic transport on the reconstructed Au/Ge(001) surface

• Franciszek Krok,
• Mark R. Kaspers,
• Alexander M. Bernhart,
• Marek Nikiel,
• Benedykt R. Jany,
• Paulina Indyka,
• Mateusz Wojtaszek,
• Rolf Möller and
• Christian A. Bobisch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1463–1471, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.159

• point contact underneath the cluster (Figure 6a) is active, a sharp transition similar to the findings in our potentiometry data is found. As a guide to the eye, equipotential lines are plotted which show the impact of the cluster on the potential in its vicinity. Our potentiometry data correspond quite

• (single point contact). b) Simulated potential if the highly conductive cluster is placed directly on top of a low conducting substrate (planar contact). The colour palette represents the potential variation. As a guide to the eye equipotential lines are superimposed. A side view of the corresponding

Photovoltaic properties of ZnO nanorods/p-type Si heterojunction structures

• Rafal Pietruszka,
• Bartlomiej S. Witkowski,
• Grzegorz Luka,
• Lukasz Wachnicki,
• Sylwia Gieraltowska,
• Krzysztof Kopalko,
• Eunika Zielony,
• Piotr Bieganski,
• Ewa Placzek-Popko and
• Marek Godlewski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 173–179, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.17

• were collected by using a point contact to AZO films). The investigated PV structures are cheap and easily constructed. We used cheap Si substrates, a very efficient and low-cost technology to produce both nanorods and AZO films, and inexpensive precursors of reactions. Schematic drawings of the

Sub-10 nm colloidal lithography for circuit-integrated spin-photo-electronic devices

• Adrian Iovan,
• Marco Fischer,
• Roberto Lo Conte and
• Vladislav Korenivski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 884–892, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.98

• colloidal lithography to producing large-area sub-10 nm point-contact arrays and demonstrate their circuit integration into spin-photo-electronic devices. The reported nanofabrication method should have broad application areas in nanotechnology as it allows ballistic-injection devices, even for metallic

• materials with relatively short characteristic relaxation lengths. Keywords: magnetic point contact arrays; spin laser; sub-10 nm colloidal lithography; Introduction Colloidal lithography [1] is a method to reproduce patterns in a variety of natural systems and is used more and more as an efficient

• , including metals, is expected to enable a variety of new ballistic transport and photonic devices, such as spin-flip terahertz lasers [15]. In this work we extend the practice of colloidal lithography to produce large-area, near-ballistic-injection, sub-10 nm point-contact arrays and demonstrate their

Revealing thermal effects in the electronic transport through irradiated atomic metal point contacts

• Bastian Kopp,
• Zhiwei Yi,
• Daniel Benner,
• Fang-Qing Xie,
• Christian Obermair,
• Thomas Schimmel,
• Johannes Boneberg,
• Paul Leiderer and
• Elke Scheer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 703–711, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.80

• , and the contact could even be switched for a short time from the tunnelling to the point-contact regime. In the following we will describe phenomena that will turn out to be related to thermal effects. Results and Discussion Electrochemically closed contacts (immersed in electrolyte) [GCQS] The first

• vicinity of the point contact (Figure 7b). The signal vanishes when the laser focus is exactly at the contact position, and it changes sign when the focus is scanned from one side of the contact to the other. These observations are in contrast with the results for PAT. They can be explained when the

• electrochemical deposition, with the two Au electrodes as working electrodes 1 and 2, and in addition a reference and a counter electrode. A voltage of –12.9 mV is applied across the two working electrodes for the conductance measurement of the metallic atomic-scale point contact. The potential at one working

Lifetime analysis of individual-atom contacts and crossover to geometric-shell structures in unstrained silver nanowires

• Christian Obermair,
• Holger Kuhn and
• Thomas Schimmel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 740–745, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.81

• electrochemical cell. Keeping a fixed voltage bias of 12.9 mV between the two ends of the leads allowed for simultaneous measurements of the conductance of the point contact. The (quasi-)reference electrode as well as the counter electrode consisted of 0.25 mm diameter Ag wire (99.9985%). All experiments were