An investigation of the distribution of electric potential and space charge in a silicon nanowire

Abstract

The distribution of electric potential and space charge in a silicon nanowire has been investigated. First, a model of the nanowire is generated taking into consideration the geometry and physics of the nanowire. The physics of the nanowire was modelled by a set of partial differential equations (PDEs) which were solved using the finite element method (FEM). Comprehensive simulation experiments were performed on the model in order to compute the distribution of potential and space charge. We also determined, through simulation, how the characteristic of the nanowire is affected by its dimensions. The characterization of the resulting nanowire, calculated by COMSOL Multiphysics, shows different dimensions and their effect on space charge and electrical potential.