Surface band bending caused by native oxides on solution-processed twinned InSb nanowires with p-type conductivity

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Semiconductor Physics

Background:

• Indium antimonide nanowires (InSb NWs) are promising for high-efficiency electronics due to their narrow band gap and high carrier mobility.
• Conventional synthesis methods (VLS) introduce defects, increasing scattering and limiting performance.
• Controlling crystal defects is crucial for optimizing InSb NW properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To suppress crystal defects in InSb NWs using a low-temperature, solution-processed technique.
• To investigate the electrical transport properties of defect-suppressed InSb NWs.
• To explore the potential of these InSb NWs for next-generation electronics and optoelectronics.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a low-temperature, solution-processed technique for InSb NW synthesis.
• Fabricated field-effect transistors (FETs) using the synthesized InSb NWs.
• Measured electrical transport properties, including carrier mobility and conductivity type.

Main Results:

• Successfully suppressed crystal defects by forming periodically distributed twin planes in InSb NWs.
• Observed hole-dominated conductivity with room temperature mobilities up to 50.71 cm² V^-1 s^-1.
• Demonstrated n-p switching behavior, attributed to surface band bending from native oxide trap states.

Conclusions:

• The low-temperature synthesis effectively reduces defects in InSb NWs, leading to improved properties.
• The observed p-type conductivity in InSb NWs offers a pathway for complementary nanoscale circuits.
• Surface engineering of these colloidal InSb NWs holds potential for advanced electronic and optoelectronic applications.