Formation and characterization of Group IV semiconductor nanowires

Abstract

Abstract To enable the application to next-generation devices of semiconductor nanowires (NWs), it is important to control their formation and tune their functionality by doping and the use of heterojunctions. In this paper, we introduce formation and the characterization methods of nanowires, focusing on our research results. We describe a top-down method of controlling the size and alignment of nanowires that shows advantages over bottom-up growth methods. The latter technique causes damage to the nanowire surfaces, requiring defect removal after the NW formation process. We show various methods of evaluating the bonding state and electrical activity of impurities in NWs. If an impurity is doped in a NW, mobility decreases due to the scattering that it causes. As a strategy for solving this problem, we describe research into core–shell nanowires, in which Si and Ge heterojunctions are formed in the diameter direction inside the NW. This structure can separate the impurity-doped region from the carrier transport region, promising as a channel for the new ultimate high-mobility transistor.