Carrier transport in Ge nanowires / Si substrate heterojunction

Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) attached to lattice-mismatched single-crystal substrates form quasi-one-dimensional (QOD) heterojunctions (HJs) where efficient structural relaxation might occur due to high surface-to-volume ratio. Current-voltage characteristics in Ge NW/(p+)Si samples with nearly micron-long Ge NWs exhibit metal-type conductivity with ohmic behavior and little conductivity temperature dependence. In contrast, Ge NW/(n+)Si samples display significant change in conductivity as a function of temperature with an activation energy up to 200 meV. In a narrow temperature interval near 150 K we observed current instabilities and oscillations for Ge NW/(n+)Si. At higher temperatures we find negative differential photoconductivity at low forward biases. Our experimental results are explained using a model of nearly ideal Si substrate/Ge NW hetero-interfaces.