Quantitative non-contact voltage profiling of quasi one-dimensional nanoelectronic devices

Local electrical characterization tools, such as Electrostatic force microscopy (EFM), can provide local electrical information of nanoelectronic devices, albeit mostly qualitative. For example, EFM images are convolution of local surface potential, capacitance, and contact potential variations in the device. In this study, we demonstrate a calibration procedure to obtain quantitative local voltage distributions of quasi one-dimensional nanoelectronic devices based on carbon nanotubes and ZnO nanowires. By comparing the results with IV measurements of the same devices, we can obtain local electrical properties of devices such as contact resistance, intrinsic resistivity of the nanomaterial, and resistance of a defect. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.