Electrical conductivity of silicon quantum nanowires

Abstract

We suggest a new theory for the description of electrical conductivity of semiconductor quantum nanowires. We take into account that oscillations of quantum nanowires lead to their self-similar deformation, and because of interaction between nanowires they form fractal clusters. Electrical potential of these structures is described via nonlinear fractal measures. We conclude that current-voltage characteristics of quantum nanowires contain hysteresis loops with oscillations. This fact corresponds to existence of negative differential resistance due to multi barrier tunneling effect in the described fractal structures.Our theoretical results have been confirmed by results of corresponding specific experimental study of nanoscale wire-like structures in silicon.

Keywords

• Key words
• silicon
• quantum nanowire
• tunneling effect
• hysteresis
• nonlinear fractal. PACS numbers