Fabrication of nanogaps with modified morphology by potential‐controlled gold deposition

Abstract Nanogaps consisting of facing nanoelectrodes are used to contact nanoscale objects between the nanoelectrodes and to measure charge transport properties through them. Here, nanogaps were fabricated by gold electrodeposition and the surface morphology was modified by the electrochemical potential, creating nanogaps with rounded surface at high overpotentials and needle‐like surface at low overpotentials. Quantized conductance was observed when the nanogap was narrowed until it was bridged by a few atoms. The needle‐like nanogaps showed a smaller contact area and better stability than the rounded nanogaps. The needle‐like nanogaps have the potential to electrically address an individual nanoscale object. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)