Carbon doping of InSb nanowires for high-performance p-channel field-effect-transistors

Abstract

Due to the unique physical properties, small bandgap III–V semiconductor nanowires such as InAs and InSb have been extensively studied for the next-generation high-speed and high-frequency electronics. However, further CMOS applications are still limited by the lack of efficient p-doping in these nanowire materials for high-performance p-channel devices. Here, we demonstrate a simple and effective in situ doping technique in the solid-source chemical vapor deposition of InSb nanowires on amorphous substrates employing carbon dopants. The grown nanowires exhibit excellent crystallinity and uniform stoichiometric composition along the entire length of the nanowires. More importantly, the versatility of this doping scheme is illustrated by the fabrication of high-performance p-channel nanowire field-effect-transistors. High electrically active carbon concentrations of ∼7.5 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³ and field-effect hole mobility of ∼140 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ are achieved which are essential for compensating the electron-rich surface layers of InSb to enable heavily p-doped and high-performance device structures. All these further indicate the technological potency of this in situ doping technique as well as p-InSb nanowires for the fabrication of future CMOS electronics.