Development of Ohmic nanocontacts via surface modification for nanowire-based electronic and optoelectronic devices: ZnO nanowires as an example

Abstract

We demonstrated a nanocontacting scheme using a focus ion beam (FIB) system without further heat treatment for ZnO nanowires. This scheme includes Ga ion surface modification and direct-write Pt deposition induced by Ga ion, leading to an Ohmic nanocontact with a specific contact resistance as low as 2.5 × 10⁻⁶ Ω cm². Temperature-dependent measurements show that the transport of the FIB-Pt contact on the ZnO nanowire with local surface modification is governed by field emission tunneling. Taking advantage of area-selected and room-temperature processes, Ga ion surface modification and direct-write Pt deposition using a FIB system demonstrates a feasible Ohmic scheme.