p‑Type InN Nanowires

• Published in: Nano letters Vol. 13; no. 11; pp. 5509 - 5513
• Main Authors: Zhao, S, Le, B. H, Liu, D. P, Liu, X. D, Kibria, M. G, Szkopek, T, Guo, H, Mi, Z
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 13-11-2013
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Crystallization; Dopants; Electronics; Electrons; Energy levels; Exact sciences and technology; Field effect transistors; Indium - chemistry; Magnesium; Magnesium - chemistry; Materials science; Mathematical analysis; Molecular electronics, nanoelectronics; Nanocrystalline materials; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanostructure; Nanostructures - chemistry; Nanotechnology; Nanowires; Nanowires - chemistry; Nitrogen - chemistry; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of low-dimensional, mesoscopic, and nanoscale materials and structures; Photoluminescence; Physics; Quantum wires; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; InN; Mg doping; p-type; nanowire; Thin films; Magnesium additions; Electronic structure; Energy levels; Fermi level; Growth mechanism; Photoluminescence; Density functional method; Nanowires; Nanostructured materials; III-V compound; Nanoelectronics
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl4030819

In this Letter, we demonstrate that with the merit of nanowire structure and a self-catalytic growth process p-type InN can be realized for the first time by “direct” magnesium (Mg) doping. The presence of Mg acceptor energy levels in InN is confirmed by photoluminescence experiments, and a direct evidence of p-type conduction is demonstrated unambiguously by studying the transfer characteristics of InN nanowire field effect transistors. Moreover, the near-surface Fermi-level of InN can be tuned from nearly intrinsic to p-type degenerate by controlling Mg dopant incorporation, which is in contrast to the commonly observed electron accumulation on the grown surfaces of Mg-doped InN films. First-principle calculation using the VASP electronic package further shows that the p-type surface formed on Mg-doped InN nanowires is highly stable energetically.