On the effect of the electrical contact resistance in nanodevices

We have investigated the effect of the electric contact resistance in nano devices by manufacturing dedicated chips with four-point contacted platinum nanowires and individual, suspended, and four-point contacted carbon nanotubes. For both cases, we measured the intrinsic electrical resistance and the electrical contact resistance. Our results indicate that the electrical contact resistance of the platinum nanowires and the carbon nanotubes can be one to three orders of magnitude higher than the intrinsic electrical resistance of the sample itself. Subsequently, we tested the platinum nanowires as pressure sensors to quantify the impact of the electrical contact resistance on the performance of micro- and nanodevices.