Nanoscale voltage tunable rectifier by gold nanostructures embedded in SiO2

Conductive-atomic force microscopy is used to electrically characterize a nanometric metal-SiO2–Si n+ system with Au nanocluster inclusions in SiO2. The system shows a marked rectifyingbehavior at room temperature with a threshold voltage function of the cluster size. This behavior isinterpreted crossing physical considerations on metal-oxide-semiconductor structure and on doublebarrier tunnel junction device. The system fabricated and analyzed is proposed as a possible basiccomponent for nanoelectronic circuits working at room temperature.