Silicon nanowire transistors with a channel width of 4 nm fabricated by atomic force microscope nanolithography

The emergence of an ultrasensitive sensor technology based on silicon nanowires requires both the fabrication of nanoscale diameter wires and the integration with microelectronic processes. Here we demonstrate an atomic force microscopy lithography that enables the reproducible fabrication of complex single-crystalline silicon nanowire field-effect transistors with a high electrical performance. The nanowires have been carved from a silicon-on-insulator wafer by a combination of local oxidation processes with a force microscope and etching steps. We have fabricated and measured the electrical properties of a silicon nanowire transistor with a channel width of 4 nm. The flexibility of the nanofabrication process is illustrated by showing the electrical performance of two nanowire circuits with different geometries. The fabrication method is compatible with standard Si CMOS processing technologies and, therefore, can be used to develop a wide range of architectures and new microelectronic devices.