• DOI:10.1126/SCIENCE.291.5505.851
• Corpus ID: 1496968

Functional nanoscale electronic devices assembled using silicon nanowire building blocks.

@article{Cui2001FunctionalNE,
  title={Functional nanoscale electronic devices assembled using silicon nanowire building blocks.},
  author={Y Yingchao Cui and Charles M. Lieber},
  journal={Science},
  year={2001},
  volume={291 5505},
  pages={
          851-3
        }
}

• Y. Cui, C. Lieber
• Published 2 February 2001
• Chemistry
• Science

Because semiconductor nanowires can transport electrons and holes, they could function as building blocks for nanoscale electronics assembled without the need for complex and costly fabrication facilities. Boron- and phosphorous-doped silicon nanowires were used as building blocks to assemble three types of semiconductor nanodevices. Passive diode structures consisting of crossed p- and n-type nanowires exhibit rectifying transport similar to planar p-n junctions. Active bipolar transistors, consisting of heavily and lightly n-doped nanowires crossing a common p-type wire base, exhibit common base and emitter current gains as large as 0.94 and 16, respectively. In addition, p- and n-type nanowires have been used to assemble complementary inverter-like structures. The facile assembly of key electronic device elements from well-defined nanoscale building blocks may represent a step toward a "bottom-up" paradigm for electronics manufacturing.