Surface and size effects on the electrical properties of Cu nanowires

Copper nanowires were patterned with e-beam lithography and fabricated with a copper film deposited by e-beam evaporation. Various electrical properties of these nanowires (including resistivity, temperature coefficient of resistance, and failure current density) were characterized. It was experimentally found that surface and size have apparent effects on the electrical properties. Smaller values for the temperature coefficient of resistance and higher failure current density were found for Cu nanowires with decreasing wire width. The experimental finding of width dependent failure current density also agrees with finding for theoretical heat transfer of the nanowire and substrate system as calculated with the finite element method.