Silicon-nanowire transistors with intruded nickel-suicide contacts

Abstract

Schottky barrier field effect transistors based on individual catalytically-grown and undoped Si-nanowires (NW) have been fabricated and characterized with respect to their gate lengths. The gate length was shortened by the axial, self-aligned formation of nickel-suicide source and drain segments along the NW. The transistors with 10-30 nm NW diameters displayed p-type behaviour, sustained current densities of up to 0.5 M A/cm2, and exhibited on/off current ratios of up to 107. The on-currents were limited and kept constant by the Schottky contacts for gate lengths below 1 μm, and decreased exponentially for gate lengths exceeding 1 μm. © 2006 American Chemical Society.