Boosting hole mobility in coherently strained [110]-oriented Ge-Si core-shell nanowires

S. Conesa-Boj, A. Li, S. Koelling, M. Brauns, J. Ridderbos, T.T. Nguyen, M.A. Verheijen, P.M. Koenraad, F.A. Zwanenburg, E.P.A.M. Bakkers

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

53 Citations (Scopus)
200 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The ability of core-shell nanowires to overcome existing limitations of heterostructures is one of the key ingredients for the design of next generation devices. This requires a detailed understanding of the mechanism for strain relaxation in these systems in order to eliminate strain-induced defect formation and thus to boost important electronic properties such as carrier mobility. Here we demonstrate how the hole mobility of [110]-oriented Ge-Si core-shell nanowires can be substantially enhanced thanks to the realization of large band offset and coherent strain in the system, reaching values as high as 4200 cm2/(Vs) at 4 K and 1600 cm2/(Vs) at room temperature for high hole densities of 1019 cm-3. We present a direct correlation of (i) mobility, (ii) crystal direction, (iii) diameter, and (iv) coherent strain, all of which are extracted in our work for individual nanowires. Our results imply [110]-oriented Ge-Si core-shell nanowires as a promising candidate for future electronic and quantum transport devices.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2259-2264
Number of pages6
JournalNano Letters
Volume17
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12 Apr 2017

Keywords

  • defect-free
  • epitaxy
  • germanium
  • mobility
  • Nanowire
  • silicon

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Boosting hole mobility in coherently strained [110]-oriented Ge-Si core-shell nanowires'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this