Field-induced semiconductor-metal transition in individual NiO-Ni Schottky nanojunction

Ni nanowire arrays were obtained by electrochemical deposition in a template. After oxidation, one-dimensional NiO-Ni Schottky junctions with nanoscale-thickness NiO layer were achieved, and the structure was characterized in terms of different scales. By application of an electric field through atomic force microscopy, the semiconductor-metal transition was observed and an enhanced nonlinearity was found in the individual Schottky nanojunction at room temperature. This kind of Schottky nanojunction requires no doping and may provide a wide variety of applications in the future. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.