Electrical Transport Characteristics Of Focused Ion Beam Fabricated Au, Cu Nanowires

Nanowires of Au and Cu were fabricated using a top-down method in which focused ion beam (FIB) milling process has been used. The width of the fabricated nanowires has been kept in the range of 45 to 300 nm and the length in the range of 2-10 mu m. In situ electrical measurements of the nanowires were carried out. The resistivities of these wires are found to be higher (five to nine times larger than their bulk values). These results have been understood on the basis of increase in the electron surface scattering due to one-dimensional confinement of the electrons. Also, other effects such as nanogap formation in the range of 40 nm to few hundreds of nanometers, structural changes of the wires, increase of current density with time at constant applied voltage, etc. have been observed during measurements.