Self-assembled metallic nanoparticles for spin dependent single electron tunneling

The study of spin-dependent single electron tunneling requires the preparation of particles with a nanometric size. These particles need not be ferromagnetic if the electrodes are. In order to fulfill the requirements of single electron tunneling effect, the preparation conditions of nanoparticles were studied, mainly for Fe and Au particles. The structure of these particles was then studied by scanning probe microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, and compared to the results of transport measurements. Particles with a diameter of the order of a nanometer were prepared and their lateral arrangement was controlled by self-organization phenomena.