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Semiconductors

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There is variation in the electrical conductivity of materials - metals, semiconductors, and insulators that are showcased with the help of the energy band diagrams.
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Schottky barrier diodes are specialized semiconductor devices characterized by their unique construction. This construction involves combining a metal layer with a moderately doped n-type semiconductor material. This combination leads to the formation of a Schottky barrier, a pivotal element that defines the diode's operational characteristics. The core functionality of Schottky barrier diodes is their capacity to allow current to flow in only one direction due to their distinctive...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

Flow-assisted Dielectrophoresis: A Low Cost Method for the Fabrication of High Performance Solution-processable Nanowire Devices

Flow-assisted Dielectrophoresis: A Low Cost Method for the Fabrication of High Performance Solution-processable Nanowire Devices

Published on: December 7, 2017

Silicon nanowire Esaki diodes.

Heinz Schmid¹, Cedric Bessire, Mikael T Björk

¹IBM Research - Zurich, Säumerstrasse 4, 8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland. sih@zurich.ibm.com

|January 5, 2012

Summary

We fabricated silicon nanowire tunnel diodes exhibiting Esaki diode characteristics. These diodes show high current densities and strain-dependent behavior, with no detectable impurities from the catalyst.

Area of Science:

Semiconductor Nanostructures
Quantum Electronics
Materials Science

Background:

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are promising for advanced electronic devices.
Tunnel diodes, specifically Esaki diodes, offer unique electrical properties.
Understanding strain effects on semiconductor band structure is crucial for device optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

To fabricate and characterize silicon nanowire tunnel diodes.
To investigate the strain dependence of their electrical properties.
To probe phonon contributions and identify impurities in the band gap.

Main Methods:

Vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth of SiNWs on p-type Si substrates with in situ n-type doping.
Electrical characterization, including current-voltage (I-V) measurements and low-temperature conductance measurements.

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Published on: December 7, 2017

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Application of uniaxial tensile and compressive stress to study strain effects.

Main Results:

Achieved Esaki diode characteristics with high peak current densities (3.6 kA/cm^2) and peak-to-valley current ratios (up to 4.3).
Demonstrated significant strain dependence: tensile stress decreased peak current, while 1.3 GPa compressive stress increased it by 48%.
Identified phonon peaks (transverse acoustical and optical) at 4.2 K and found no detectable gold impurities.

Conclusions:

Silicon nanowire tunnel diodes exhibit excellent Esaki diode properties.
The devices show a clear dependence of tunnel current on strain, reflecting Si band structure modifications.
Phonon interactions are significant in the indirect tunneling process, and gold catalyst impurities are not detrimental.