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Updated: Apr 24, 2026

Scanning-probe Single-electron Capacitance Spectroscopy
Published on: July 30, 2013
Quantitative impedance characterization of sub-10 nm scale capacitors and tunnel junctions with an interferometric
Fei Wang1, Nicolas Clément, Damien Ducatteau
1Institut d'Electronique, de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie (IEMN), CNRS UMR 8520, University of Lille, Avenue Poincaré, CS 60069, F-59652 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
Abstract:
We present a method to characterize sub-10 nm capacitors and tunnel junctions by interferometric scanning microwave microscopy (iSMM) at 7.8 GHz. At such device scaling, the small water meniscus surrounding the iSMM tip should be reduced by proper tip tuning. Quantitative impedance characterization of attofarad range capacitors is achieved using an 'on-chip' calibration kit facing thousands of nanodevices. Nanoscale capacitors and tunnel barriers were detected through variations in the amplitude and phase of the reflected microwave signal, respectively. This study promises quantitative impedance characterization of a wide range of emerging functional nanoscale devices.
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