Diameter-dependent conductance of InAs nanowires

Abstract

Electrical conductance through InAs nanowires is relevant for electronic applications as well as for fundamental quantum experiments. Here, we employ nominally undoped, slightly tapered InAs nanowires to study the diameter dependence of their conductance. By contacting multiple sections of each wire, we can study the diameter dependence within individual wires without the need to compare different nanowire batches. At room temperature, we find a diameter-independent conductivity for diameters larger than 40 nm, indicative of three-dimensional diffusive transport. For smaller diameters, the resistance increases considerably, in coincidence with a strong suppression of the mobility. From an analysis of the effective charge carrier density, we find indications for a surface accumulation layer. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.