Deformation mechanisms, electronic conductance and friction of metallic nanocontacts

Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science

Volumn 1, Issue 6, 1996, Pages 827-833

  Sutton, Adrian P ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0000840481     PISSN: 13590286     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/S1359-0286(96)80109-4     Document Type: Article

References (47)

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14. Krans JM, Muller CJ, van der Post N, Postma FR, Sutton AP, Todorov TN, van Ruitenbeek JM: Comment on quantized conductance in an atom-sized point contact Phys Rev Lett 1995, 74:2146. This comment and the reply [19•] summarize the controversy over the origin of the conductance jumps and whether the conductance is quantized.
15. Muller CJ, Krans JM, Todorov TN, Reed MA: Quantization effects in the conductance of metallic contacts at room temperature. Phys Rev B 1996, 53:1022-1025. This paper provides experimental confirmation of the prediction [28••] that conditions for conductance quantization are more favourable at room temperature than at liquid helium temperatures. It also demonstrates the global instability of metallic nanocontacts of less than a certain cross-sectional area.
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19. Diesen L, Lægsgaard E, Stensgaard I, Besenbacher F, Schiøtz J, Stoltze P, Jacobsen KW, Nerskov JK: Olesen et al., reply. Phys Rev Lett 1995, 74:2147. See [4] above.
20. Brandbyge M, Schiøtz J, Sørensen MR, Stoltze P, Jacobsen KW, Nørskov JK, Olesen L, Lægsgaard E, Stensgaard I, Besenbacher F: Quantized conductance in atom-sized wires between 2 metals. Phys Rev B 1995, 52:8499-8514. As well as containing experimental data in the form of histograms on conductances in nanowires, this paper gives a full account of FE calculations based on MD simulations, which address the observed form of the experimental histograms.
21. Pascual JI, Mendéz J, Gómez-Herrero J, Baró AM, Garcia N, Landman U, Luedtke WD, Bogachek EN, Cheng HP: Properties of metallic nanowires - from conductance quantization to localization. Science 1995, 267:1793-1795. This paper describes experimental results on electron localization in long nanocontacts. Experimental conductance traces for shorter nanocontacts show quantization and dips after each conductance drop. Similar dips were predicted by TB conductance simulations in [28••].
22. Agraït N, Rubio G, Vieira S: Plastic deformation of nanometre-scale gold connective necks. Phys Rev Lett 1995, 74:3995-3998. The first experimental evidence of the correlation between jumps in the tensile force and jumps in the electronic conductance. The contact diameter was relatively large.
23. Rubio G, Agraït N, Vieira S: Atomic-sized metallic contacts - mechanical properties and electronic transport Phys Rev Lett 1996, 76:2302-2305. Simultaneous measurements of force and conductance of an atomic-sized gold contact in air, where jumps in the conductance were always due to atomic rearrangements in the contact.
24. Stalder A, Dürig U: Study of yielding mechanics in nanometer-sized Au contacts. Appl Phys Lett 1996, 68:637-639. Simultaneous measurements of force and conductance of atomic-sized gold contacts in UHV showing correlations between variations in conductance and tensile force.
25. Stalder A, Dürig U: Study of plastic flow in ultrasmall Au contacts. J Vac Sci Technol B 1996, 14:1259-1263.
26. Todorov TN, Sutton AP: Jumps in electronic conductance due to mechanical instabilities. Phys Rev Lett 1993, 70:2138-2141.
27. Sutton AP, Todorov TN: Mechanical and electrical properties of metallic contacts at the nanometre scale. J Phys Chem Solids 1994, 55:1169-1174.
28. Bratkovsky AM, Sutton AP, Todorov TN: Conditions for conductance quantization in realistic models of atomic-scale metallic contacts. Phys Rev B 1995, 52:5036-5051. The only comparative study of FE and TB calculations of the conductance evolution based on the same MD simulations of nano contact pulling. It is also the only simulation study of the temperature dependence of the mechanical response and conductance of metallic nanocontacts. It explains several experimentally observed features about the conductance and predicts others, which have since been confirmed.
29. Todorov TN, Sutton AP: Force and conductance jumps in atomic-scale metallic contacts. Phys Rev B 1996, in press. A simulation study which reproduces the experimentally observed correlation between jumps in the tensile force and in the conductance. It also discusses time scales of relaxation processes in nanocontacts.
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34. Harrison JA, White CT, Colton RJ, Brenner DW: Atomistic simulations of friction at sliding diamond interfaces. MRS Bull May 1993, 18:50-53.
35. Todorov TN, Briggs GAD, Sutton AP: Elastic quantum transport through small structures. J Phys-Condens Matter 1993, 5:2389-2406.
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39. Nanotribology. MRS Bull 1993, 18, No. 5.
40. Serensen MR, Jacobsen KW, Stoltze P: Simulations of atomic-scale sliding friction. Phys Rev B 1996, 53:2101-2113. A careful simulation study of frictional sliding between clean metal surfaces, considering the effect of a crystal lattice misorientation between the tip and substrate.
41. Tabor D: Friction as a dissipative process. In Fundamentals of Friction: Macroscopic and Microscopic Processes. Edited by Singer IL, Pollock HM. Dordrecht: Kluwer; 1992:3-24.
42. Sutton AP, Balluffi RW: Interfaces in crystalline materials. New York: Oxford University Press; 1995. An integrated text on the structure, thermodynamics, kinetics and mechanical and electrical properties of interfaces in crystalline materials.
43. Johnson KL: A continuum mechanics model of adhesion and friction in a single asperity contact In Micro/nanotribology and Its Applications. Edited by B Bhushan. Dordrecht: Kluwer; 1997, in press. A continuum theory of a single asperity contact in which the transition from static to kinetic friction is treated, together with the interaction between friction and adhesion.
44. Gao JP, Luedtke WD, Landman U: Nano-elastohydrodynamics - structure, dynamics, and flow in nonuniform lubricated junctions. Science 1995, 270:605-608. Using simple empirical potentials these simulations reveal interesting structural changes within an alkane lubricant The changes have considerable consequences for the friction and wear of soft metallic (gold) asperities.
45. Ramos MMD: Theory of processes at surfaces and interfaces [PhD Thesis] Oxford: University of Oxford; 1992.
46. Godwin PD, Horsfield AP, Stoneham AM, Bull SJ, Ford U, Harker AH, Pettifor DG, Sutton AP: Computational materials synthesis III: synthesis of hydrogenated amorphous carbon from molecular precursors. Phys Rev B 1996, in press.
47. Stoneham AM, Ramos MMD, Sutton AP: How do they stick together. The statics and dynamics of interfaces. Phil Mag A 1993, 67:797-811.