title: Fingerprints of a size-dependent crossover in the dimensionality of electronic conduction in Au-seeded Ge nanowires.
abstract: We studied the electrical transport properties of Au-seeded germanium nanowires with radii ranging from 11 to 80 nm at ambient conditions. We found a non-trivial dependence of the electrical conductivity, mobility and carrier density on the radius size. In particular, two regimes were identified for large (lightly doped) and small (stronger doped) nanowires in which the charge-carrier drift is dominated by electron-phonon and ionized-impurity scattering, respectively. This goes in hand with the finding that the electrostatic properties for radii below ca. 37 nm have quasi one-dimensional character as reflected by the extracted screening lengths.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Staudtstr. 7, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koleśnik-Gray
authors.affiliation: Materials Chemistry & Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University College Cork, Cork, Republic of Ireland.
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.affiliation: Materials Chemistry & Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University College Cork, Cork, Republic of Ireland.
authors.forename: Justin D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Staudtstr. 7, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Vojislav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krstić
keywords: VLS growth; electrical transport; germanium nanowires; quasi-1D confinement; screening length