No abstract

We have investigated current-voltage characteristics of individual CdSe colloidal nanodots by conductive-tip atomic force microscopy (AFM). The colloidal nanodots were spun-coat and scattered on a self-assembled monolayer of thiophene molecules formed on Au (111) surfaces for single dot measurements. A thin SiO2 layer was deposited on the sample surface in order to prevent the dots being moved by the tip during measurement. We imaged the topography of isolated single dots by AFM operated in contact mode, and measured current-voltage characteristics with the conductive tip positioned on single dots; large conductivity changes which suggest resonant tunneling through a quantized energy level in the dot was observed even at room temperature.

We have fabricated submonolayer-thick films of CdSe colloidal nanodots in order to investigate electronic properties of individual nanodots by conductive-tip atomic force microscopy (AFM). Topographic and current images of isolated single CdSe colloidal dots on single crystalline Au (111) surface which was covered with dodecanethiol self-assembled monolayer were obtained by AFM operating in contact mode with a conductive tip under appropriate bias voltages. In the current image, it is found that the dot regions have higher electric resistances due to tunneling resistance through the CdSe dots. We also found 10 nm-scale electric inhomogeneity around the dots, which may corresponds to the previously reported etch-pits of Au (111) surfaces formed during the deposition of the dodecanethiol molecules.

We observed the surface topography of CdSe colloidal nano-dot film by cyclic contact mode atomic force microscopy. The observed structure changes with cantilever oscillation amplitude, and non-uniform images with long-range corrugations are obtained with relatively large oscillation amplitude while fine structures are revealed with smaller oscillation amplitude. When the amplitude is larger and the surface is weakly ‘tapped’, the topography of the soft organic matrix of the film dominates, and when the tapping force is increased, the hard CdSe dots begin to reveal.