Adjustable atomic size contacts realized by break junctions have become a standard tool during the last decade. Although nanofabricated break junctions may in principle be incorporated onto complex electronic circuits, a fundamental drawback of the standard break junction technique is its limitation to a single adjustable junction per device. We have fabricated single break junctions as well as devices containing two break junctions on a silicon membrane. The junctions are adjusted by positioning a fine tip via piezocontrol on the rear side of the membrane. We describe the fabrication process of the membranes and the devices and present results obtained on circuits made of gold and platinum. We show that the junctions can be addressed independently by a suitable choice of the tip position. Single-atom contacts, vacuum tunneling contacts as well as larger contacts can be stabilized.

1.
N.
Agraït
,
A.
Levy Yeyati
, and
J. M.
van Ruitenbeek
,
Phys. Rep.
377
,
81
(
2003
).
2.
C. J.
Muller
,
J. M.
van Ruitenbeek
, and
L. J.
de Jongh
,
Physica C
191
,
485
(
1992
).
3.
J. M.
van Ruitenbeek
,
A.
Alvarez
,
I.
Piñeyro
,
C.
Grahmann
,
P.
Joyez
,
M. H.
Devoret
,
D.
Esteve
, and
C.
Urbina
,
Rev. Sci. Instrum.
67
,
108
(
1996
).
4.
M.
Bruel
,
Electron. Lett.
31
,
1201
(
1995
).
5.
J. M.
van Ruitenbeek
,
E.
Scheer
, and
H.
Weber
, in
Introducing Molecular Electronics
,
Lecture Notes in Physics
, edited by
G.
Cuniberti
,
G.
Fagas
, and
K.
Richter
(
Springer
,
New York
,
2005
).
6.
P.
Leiderer
,
C.
Bartels
,
J.
König-Birk
,
M.
Mosbacher
, and
J.
Boneberg
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
85
,
5370
(
2004
).
7.
K.
Ueno
,
S.
Juodkazis
,
V.
Mizeikis
,
K.
Sasaki
, and
H.
Misawa
,
Adv. Mater. (Weinheim, Ger.)
20
,
26
(
2008
).
8.
J. J.
Parks
,
A. R.
Champagne
,
G. R.
Hutchison
,
S.
Flores-Torres
,
H. D.
Abruña
, and
D. C.
Ralph
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
99
,
026601
(
2007
).
9.
J.
Butschke
,
A.
Ehrmann
,
E.
Haugeneder
,
M.
Irmscher
,
R.
Kaesmaier
,
K.
Kragler
,
F.
Letzkus
,
H.
Loeschner
,
J.
Mathuni
,
I. W.
Rangelow
,
C.
Reuter
,
F.
Shi
, and
R.
Springer
,
Proc. SPIE
3665
,
20
(
1999
).
10.
C. M.
Sotomayor Torres
,
A.
Zwick
,
F.
Poinsotte
,
J.
Groenen
,
M.
Prunnila
,
J.
Ahopelto
,
A.
Mlayah
, and
V.
Paillard
,
Phys. Status Solidi C
1
,
2609
(
2004
).
11.
A.
Degen
,
N.
Abedinova
,
T.
Gotszalkb
,
E.
Sossnaa
,
M.
Kratzenberga
, and
I. W.
Rangelow
,
Microelectron. Eng.
57
,
425
(
2001
).
12.
J. K.
Viljas
and
J. C.
Cuevas
,
Phys. Rev. B
75
,
075406
(
2007
).
13.
D. C.
Guhr
,
D.
Rettinger
,
J.
Boneberg
,
A.
Erbe
,
P.
Leiderer
, and
E.
Scheer
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
99
,
086801
(
2007
).
14.
H.
Grabert
and
M. H.
Devoret
,
Single Charge Tunneling
,
NATO ASI Series Vol. 294
(
Plenum
,
New York
,
1992
).
You do not currently have access to this content.