Electron transfer processes in scanning tunneling spectroscopy through small supported particles

Mechanism of the staircase like I–V curve observed recently in scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) of a metal fine particle supported on an oxide covered substrate is clarified based on theoretical simulations. It is discussed how the step structures are influenced by the coupling of the fine particle charge to the remaining degrees of freedom, such as induced charge in the surrounding medium. Relation between the characteristic features of single electron tunneling (SET) and the STS of micro-clusters is discussed