Voltage percolation thresholds evidenced in the electrical behaviour of different nanostructures

TL;DR

This paper investigates voltage percolation thresholds in various nanostructures, revealing characteristic behaviors in silicon-based systems and carbon nanotube networks, with implications for understanding electrical conduction at the nanoscale.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of voltage percolation thresholds in different nanostructures, including silicon nanodots, porous silicon, and carbon nanotube networks, highlighting their distinct electrical behaviors.

Findings

Voltage percolation thresholds observed in silicon nanodots and porous silicon.

Non-periodic, temperature-independent oscillations in carbon nanotube networks.

Distinct current-voltage characteristics indicating different conduction mechanisms.

Abstract

Percolation phenomena are investigated and discussed in three kinds of nanostructures: first two are nanocrystalline silicon-based systems, Si nanodots embedded in amorphous SiO2 matrix and porous silicon formed by an oxidized nanowire network, and the third consisting of a multi-walled carbon nanotube network embedded in amorphous SiN. The current-voltage characteristics measured on first two systems present voltage percolation thresholds with the same shape - a saturation plateau region of the current, followed by an abrupt increase. The current-voltage and conductance-voltage curves measured on multi-walled carbon nanotube network embedded in amorphous SiN present non-periodic and temperature independent oscillations. These oscillations are interpreted as voltage percolation thresholds.