Fabrication of silicon nanowire structures based on proximity effects of electron-beam lithography

One-dimensional silicon nanowire structures have been successfully made by using the proximity and accumulation effects of electron-beam (e-beam) lithography. Wire structures are fabricated in a thin poly silicon layer on a silicon substrate with a 400 nm buried SiO2. Measurements of the current–voltage characteristics at various temperatures from 35 to 200 K show significant non-linearities and conductance peaks indicating the existence of single-electron behavior. The blockade size is significantly affected by thermal effects, oscillations of the blockade, and the conductivity dependence on the gate potential.