Measurement of the conductivity exponent in random percolating networks of nanoscale bismuth clusters

Nanoscale bismuth clusters, produced in an inert gas aggregation source, have been deposited between lithographically defined electrical contacts. The conductivity exponent, t, of the 2D percolating network of bismuth clusters has been derived from in-situ electrical measurements. It was found to be 1.32/spl plusmn/0.25. This value is comparable with theoretical predictions of t /spl middot/1.3 for 2D random continuum percolation networks.