Current-Mode Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy of a Semiconductor   Nanowire Field-Effect Transistor
  One of the main limiting factors in the carrier mobility in semiconductor nanowires is the presence of deep trap levels. While deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) has proved to be a powerful tool in analysing traps in bulk semiconductors, this technique is ineffective for the characterisation of nanowires due to their very small capacitance. Here we introduce a new technique for measuring the spectrum of deep traps in nanowires. In current-mode DLTS (I-DLTS) the temperature-dependence of the transient current through a nanowire field-effect transistor in response to an applied gate voltage pulse is measured. We demonstrate the applicability of I-DLTS to determine the activation energy and capture cross-sections of several deep defect states in zinc oxide nanowires. In addition to characterising deep defect states, we show that I-DLTS can be used to measure the surface barrier height in semiconductor nanowires. 
Ivan Isakov, Marion J L Sourribes, Paul A Warburton
cond-mat.mtrl-sci