Scalable Electrical Properties of Axial GaAs Nanowire pn-Diodes

• Published in: Journal of electronic materials 2012-05, Vol.41 (5), p.809-812
• Main Authors: Gutsche, C., Lysov, A., Regolin, I., Münstermann, B., Prost, W., Tegude, F. J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemical synthesis methods; Chemistry and Materials Science; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Diodes; Electrical properties; Electronics; Electronics and Microelectronics; Exact sciences and technology; Gallium arsenide; Gallium arsenides; Instrumentation; Inverse; Materials Science; Methods of nanofabrication; Molecular electronics, nanoelectronics; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanostructure; Nanowires; Optical and Electronic Materials; Physics; Quantum wires; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Solid State Physics
• ISSN: 0361-5235; 1543-186X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11664-011-1824-5

In this letter the scalability of electrical properties of axial GaAs nanowire pn -diodes grown by Au-assisted metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy is reported. The impact of the nanowire diameter on the forward current, the ideality factor, and the diode series resistance were investigated. Electrical measurements carried out on various single nanowires reveal the existence of a critical diameter for device functionality. Below that diameter the diode series resistance increases infinitely, which can be attributed to surface depletion. Above that diameter the forward current increases linearly with the junction area, while the series resistance demonstrates inverse proportionality. Hereby the ideality factor remains approximately constant at a value of 2. In addition, the analyzed axial GaAs nanowire pn -diodes offer very high rectification ratios ranging from 10 4 to 10 6 at ±2 V.