Commentary

Synthesis, Properties and Integration for Si/Ge Nanowire Electronics   S. Thomas Picraux   Los Alamos National Laboratory   Email: picraux@lanl.gov

Nanowires have sparked worldwide interest for their novel structures, interesting properties, and potential applications ranging from single molecule sensing to energy harvesting. Semiconducting nanowires have received the most attention, in part because of their potential for a new generation of basic device elements for high performance electronics and optoelectronics. However there are remaining roadblocks which must be overcome before realizing such a vision and achieving a significant role for nanowire electronics. In my presentation I will focus on the best understood materials system in bulk and planar geometries, Si/Ge, to address current progress and key remaining issues which must be solved for achieving a significant role for nanowires in electronics and energy harvesting applications.

One consideration in the application of semiconducting nanowires is the development of methods for the controlled synthesis of active hybrid nanowire devices. This means that one must not only be able to control the growth of homogeneous nanowires of a particular composition, but rather to synthesize heterostructures with designed compositions, strains and doping profiles in order to exploit the small size, band gap engineering and other special opportunities presented by nanowire geometries. Progress in this area for both axial and radial geometries will be reviewed. A second need is for the metrology of nanoscale materials to be further advanced, so that intra-wire properties can be better characterized and performance enhancements understood, predicted and quantified. Ensemble and single nanowire scanning probe, electrical and contactless optical methods with be illustrated. Finally, a key issue is the integration of nanowires into microscale systems. Such issues as patterned arrays, directed assembly, compatible architectures and processing will be discussed with the emphasis on vertically oriented nanowire integration.

I very much look forward to lively discussions and fruitful interactions with colleagues from across the globe at the exciting NGC/CSTC-2009 meeting this coming August in Hamilton.