Pt Nanogap Electrode Fabrication by Two-Layer Lift-Off UV-NIL and Nanowire Breakdown

Nanogap electrodes are expected to aid the study of the electrical properties of single molecules and nanoparticles, and also have been applied to nonvolatile memory. In this study, we developed a process to fabricate nanogap electrodes by combining ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) and a nanowire-breakdown technique. A pattern of Pt/Ti nanowires with a width of 300 nm was formed on a silicon oxide layer by two-layer lift-off UV-NIL using an alkali-soluble polymer. A Pt nanogap with a distance of couple of nanometers was fabricated by controlling the step voltage applied to the nanowire electrodes. We demonstrated the switching behavior of the Pt nanogap. It was confirmed that switching operations could be performed for 100 cycles and a high resistance ratio of over 10
²
was obtained.