Micro- and nanocrystalline, porous, composite semiconductors

Variations in the electric potential of a metal nanoparticle on a dielectric

A. V. Ankudinov^a, A. S. Vlasov^a, M. S. Dunaevskii^a, V. Yu. Aksenov^a, I. V. Ilkiv^b, A. V. Malevskaya^a, V. D. Rodin^a, A. S. Shchenin^a, A. M. Mintairov<sup>a

a</sup> Ioffe Institute, St. Petersburg
^b Saint Petersburg State University

Abstract: Using scanning Kelvin probe microscopy under room conditions, flickering of the surface potential signal over single 20–70 nm Au particles in the microappertures of a perforated Au contact of a flat capacitor with the GaIn–$p$Si–SiO$_2$–Au structure was investigated. It was found that the flickering amplitude increases with decreasing particle size and probe-sample distance. The relationship between the flickering and thermal fluctuations of the particle potential, as well as other sources, was analyzed. Calibration of the surface potential signal on a nanoscale potential flicker source made it possible to identify the response to elementary charge jumps in the experimental data.

Received: 05.11.2025
Revised: 02.12.2025
Accepted: 08.12.2025

DOI: 10.61011/FTP.2025.10.62410.8749