Few electrons injection in silicon nanocrystals probed by ultrahigh vacuum atomic force microscopy

摘要

Ultrahigh vacuum atomic force microscopy has been used to inject and detect charges in individual silicon nanocrystals. The sensitivity of our measurements is shown to be better than 2 e. Injected charge saturates as a function of injection time for a given electric field. The potential of the charged nanocrystal as a function of the number of charges in the dot is in good agreement with a simple electrostatic model.