Voltage tunable quantum dot array by patterned Ge-nanowire based metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a scalable, room-temperature voltage-tunable quantum dot array using patterned Ge-nanowire MOS devices, enabling control over quantum states for advanced quantum and electronic applications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel fabrication of Ge-nanowire based MOS devices that function as voltage-tunable quantum dots at room temperature, with detailed experimental and theoretical analysis.

Findings

Quantum confinement confirmed by step-like C-V responses.

Quantum states occupy approximately 6 electronic charges.

Device modeling aligns with experimental transport data.

Abstract

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are being regarded as the primary unit for a wide range of advanced and emerging technologies including electronics, optoelectronics, photovoltaics and biosensing applications as well as the domain of q-bits based quantum information processing. Such QDs are suitable for several novel device applications for their unique property of confining carriers 3-dimensionally creating discrete quantum states. However, the realization of such QDs in practice exhibits serious challenge regarding their fabrication in array with desired scalability and repeatability as well as control over the quantum states at room temperature. In this context, the current work reports the fabrication of an array of highly scaled Ge-nanowire (radius ~25 nm) based vertical metal-oxide-semiconductor devices that can operate as voltage tunable quantum dots at room temperature. The electrons in such nanowire experience a geometrical confinement in the radial direction, whereas, they can be confined axially by tuning the applied bias in order to manipulate the quantum states. Such quantum confinement of electrons has been confirmed from the step-like responses in the room temperature capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics at relatively low frequency (200 kHz). Each of such steps has observed to encompass convolution of the quantized states occupying ~6 electronic charges. The details of such carrier confinement are analyzed in the current work by theoretically modeling the device transport properties based on non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism.