Electron transport properties of ZnO, InP, GaP, and Pb<inf>1-x</inf>Mn<inf>x</inf>Se nanowires by two-probe measurements

Abstract

anowires ( Ws) of four different materials, including ZnO, InP, GaP, and Pb 1-x Mn x Se, have been used for the fabrication of two-probe electronic devices to study electrical transport properties. The average diameters of ZnO, InP, GaP, and Pb 1-x Mn x Se Ws are about 40, 25, 25, 70 nm, respectively. Both electron-beam lithography and dielectrophoresis techniques are employed to either deposit two Ti/Au electrodes on single W or positioned the W into nanometer gap between two electrodes. Temperature dependent behaviors of resistance of two-probe devices are measured to explore the electron transport either in the W or in the nanocontact formed in the interface between the W and the Ti/Au electrodes. Two-probe devices with high and low room-temperature resistance are used to inspect and distinguish the interplay between the nanocontact and the W. After the separation of W-dominated devices from contactdominated ones, the thermally activated transport in semiconductor ZnO, InP, and GaP Ws and the temperature independent tunneling conduction in Pb 1-x Mn x Se Ws have been revealed. On the other hand, the contact-dominated devices display electron hopping transport in the nanocontact. Moreover, the fluctuation-induced tunneling conduction in the overlapped Pb 1-x Mn x Se Ws has been observed.