Ballistic Electron Microscopy of Nanographene Layers

Abstract

We use scanning tunneling microscopy and ballistic electron emission spectroscopy and microscopy to study charge transport across Pt-nanographene-Pd interfaces. Four triangle-shaped nanographene molecules with different bulky substituents are studied. Modifications of highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital levels resulting from hybridization with the metal substrate are observed for all molecules and compared with theoretical calculations. The substituents can influence the charge transport through the molecules by varying the distance between the metal substrate and the nanographene plane or providing additional electronic channels through iodo substituents. This effect can be quantified as a larger effective mass for carriers with increasing molecule-substrate distance, using tight binding. Our results address the critical coupling issue for metal contacts to devices using molecules as active layers.