Single-electron tunneling at room temperature in cobalt nanoparticles

Abstract

We report on the observation of the Coulomb blockade with Coulomb staircases at room temperature in cobalt nanoparticles, with sizes ranging between 1 and 4 nm. A monolayer of these particles is supported by a thin 1–2 nm thick Al2O3 film, deposited on a smooth Au(111) surface. The local electrical transport on isolated Co clusters was investigated with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The tunnel contact of the STM tip allowed us to observe single-electron tunneling in the double barrier system STM-tip/Co/Al2O3/Au. Very high values of the Coulomb blockade of up to 1.0 V were reproducibly measured at room temperature on different particles with this setup. The current–voltage characteristics fit well by simulations based on the orthodox theory of single-electron tunneling.