Silicon Vertically Integrated Nanowire Field Effect Transistors

Silicon nanowires have received considerable attention as transistor components because they represent a facile route toward sub-100-nm single-crystalline Si features. Herein we demonstrate the direct vertical integration of Si nanowire arrays into surrounding gate field effect transistors without the need for postgrowth nanowire assembly processes. The device fabrication allows Si nanowire channel diameters to be readily reduced to the 5-nm regime. These first-generation vertically integrated nanowire field effect transistors (VINFETs) exhibit electronic properties that are comparable to other horizontal nanowire field effect transistors (FETs) and may, with further optimization, compete with advanced solid-state nanoelectronic devices.