Abstract
Abstract In this work, the fabrication of a resistive-type single Au nanowire chemical sensor based on a combination of atomic force microscopy nanolithography and conventional photo-lithography, and in-situ measurement of the adsorption of alkanethiolate molecules in liquid are reported. The sensing mechanism is demonstrated by the selective binding of a self-assembled dodecanethiol monolayer onto a single Au nanowire connected with Ti electrodes in pure alcohol. When adsorbates are adsorbed onto the surface of an Au nanowire, a resistance increase caused by increased surface scattering can be observed. It is found that the resistance increases of the same nanowire do not change in different concentrations, and the resistance increase is higher as the nanowire becomes thinner. The highest saturation value of a 14-nm thick nanowire is up to 10%.