Nanoscale wires and related devices

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to sub-microelectronic circuitry, and more particularly to nanometer-scale articles, including nanoscale wires which can be selectively doped at various locations and at various levels. In some cases, the articles may be single crystals. The nanoscale wires can be doped, for example, differentially along their length, or radially, and either in terms of identity of dopant, concentration of dopant, or both. This may be used to provide both n-type and p-type conductivity in a single item, or in different items in close proximity to each other, such as in a crossbar array. The fabrication and growth of such articles is described, and the arrangement of such articles to fabricate electronic, optoelectronic, or spintronic devices and components. For example, semiconductor materials can be doped to form n-type and p-type semiconductor regions for making a variety of devices such as field effect transistors, bipolar transistors, complementary inverters, tunnel diodes, light emitting diodes, sensors, and the like.

1 - 709 . (canceled)  
     
     
         710 . A nanowire, comprising: 
 a first segment of a first material; and    a second segment of a second material joined to said first segment;    wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm; and    wherein said nanowire is selected from a population of nanowires having a substantially monodisperse distribution of diameters.    
     
     
         711 - 714 . (canceled)  
     
     
         715 . A nanowire, comprising: 
 a first segment of a substantially crystalline material; and    a second segment of a substantially crystalline material joined to said first segment;    wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm.    
     
     
         716 . A nanowire as recited in  claim 715 , wherein each of said first and said second segments comprises a doped semiconductor material.  
     
     
         717 . A nanowire as recited in  claim 716 , wherein said doped semiconductor material is selected from the group consisting essentially of a group III-V semiconductor, an elemental semiconductor, a group II-VI semiconductor, a group II-IV semiconductor, and tertiaries and quaternaries thereof.  
     
     
         718 . A nanowire as recited in  claim 715 , wherein each of said first and second segments exhibits the electrical characteristics of a homogeneously doped semiconductor.  
     
     
         719 - 908 . (canceled)  
     
     
         909 . A nanowire, comprising: 
 a first segment of a first material; and    a second segment of a second material joined to said first segment;    wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter;    said nanowire displaying characteristics selected from the group consisting essentially of electronic properties, optical properties, physical properties, magnetic properties and chemical properties that are modified relative to the bulk characteristics of said first and second materials by quantum confinement effects.    
     
     
         910 . A nanowire, comprising: 
 a first segment of a first material; and    a second segment of a second material joined to said first segment;    wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter;    said nanowire having at least one electronic property that varies as a function of diameter of said nanowire.    
     
     
         911 . A nanowire as recited in  claim 910 , wherein said at least one electronic property of said nanowire comprises band-gap energy which varies as a function of diameter of said nanowire.  
     
     
         912 . A nanowire superlattice structure, comprising: 
 a first segment of a material;    a second segment of a material joined to said first segment; and    a third segment of a material joined to at least one of said first or second segments;    wherein at least two of said segments are longitudinally adjacent;    wherein at least two of said segments comprise compositionally different materials; and    wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm.    
     
     
         913 . A nanowire superlattice structure, comprising: 
 a first segment of a material;    a second segment of a material joined to said first segment; and    a third segment joined to at least one of said first or second segments;    wherein at least two of said segments comprise compositionally different materials; and    wherein at least two of said segments are longitudinally adjacent;    said nanowire superlattice structure displaying characteristics selected from the group consisting essentially of electronic properties, optical properties, physical properties, magnetic properties and chemical properties that are modified relative to the bulk characteristics of said first and second materials by quantum confinement effects.    
     
     
         914 . A nanowire supertattice structure, comprising: 
 a first segment of a material;    a second segment of a material joined to said first segment; and    a third segment joined to at least one of said first or second segments;    wherein at least two of said segments comprise compositionally different materials; and    wherein at least two of said segments are longitudinally adjacent;    said nanowire superlattice structure having at least one electronic property that varies as a function of diameter of at least one of said segments.    
     
     
         915 . A nanowire superlattice structure as recited in  claim 914 , wherein said at least one electronic property of said nanowire supper lattice comprises band gap energy which varies as a function of diameter of said nanowire.  
     
     
         916 . A nanowire superlattice structure, comprising: 
 a first segment of a substantially crystalline material;    a second segment at a substantially crystalline material joined to said first segment; and    a third segment of a substantially crystalline material joined to at least one of said first or second segments;    wherein at least two of said segments comprise compositionally different materials;    wherein at least two of said segments are longitudinally adjacent; and    wherein at least one of said segments has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm.    
     
     
         917 . A nanowire superlattice structure as recited in  claim 912 ,  913 ,  914 ,  915 , or  916  wherein each of said segments comprises a doped semiconductor material.  
     
     
         918 . A nanowire superlattice structure as recited in  claim 917 , wherein said doped semiconductor material is selected from the group consisting essentially of a group III-V semiconductor, an elemental semiconductor, a group II-VI semiconductor, a group II-IV semiconductor, and tertiaries and quaternaries thereof.  
     
     
         919 . A nanowire superlattice structure as recited in  claim 912 ,  913 ,  914 ,  915 , or  916 , wherein each of said segments exhibits the electrical characteristics of a homogeneously doped semiconductor.  
     
     
         920 . A superlattice structure as recited in  claim 912 ,  913 ,  914 ,  915 ,  916 ,  917 ,  918 , or  919 , wherein said first and second segments are longitudinally adjacent, wherein said third segment comprises a shell around a core, and wherein said core comprises said first or second segment.  
     
     
         921 . A superlattice structure as recited in  claim 912 ,  913 ,  914 ,  915 ,  916 ,  917 ,  918 , or  919 , wherein said first and second segments are longitudinally adjacent, wherein said third segment comprises a shell around a core, and wherein said core comprises said first and second segments.  
     
     
         922 . A superlattice structure as recited in  claim 912 ,  913 ,  914 ,  915 ,  916 ,  917 ,  918 , or  919 , wherein said first and second segments are longitudinally adjacent, wherein said first or second segment comprises a shell around a core, and wherein said core comprises said third segment.  
     
     
         923 . A superlattice structure as recited in  claim 912 ,  913 ,  914 ,  915 ,  916 ,  917 ,  918 , or  919 , wherein said first and second segments are longitudinally adjacent wherein said first and second segments comprise a shell around a core, and wherein said core comprises said third segment.  
     
     
         924 . A superlattice structure as recited in  claim 912 ,  913 ,  914 ,  915 ,  916 ,  917 ,  918 , or  919 , further comprising a fourth segment joined to at least one of said first or second segments, said fourth segment joined to said third segment, wherein said third and fourth segments comprise a shell around a core, and wherein said core comprises said first and second segments.  
     
     
         925 . A nanoscale wire, comprising: 
 a first region having a first composition; and    a second region having a second composition adjacent to said first region;    wherein one or more of the first or second regions has a substantially uniform diameter of less than about 200 nm; and    wherein said nanoscale wire is selected from a population of nanoscale wires having a distribution of diameters of less than about 20%.    
     
     
         926 . A nanoscale wire, comprising: 
 a first region that is a single crystal; and    a second region that is a single crystal adjacent to said first region;    wherein one or more of the first or second regions has a substantially uniform diameter of less than approximately 200 nm.    
     
     
         927 . A nanoscale wire as recited in  claim 926 , wherein at least one of said first or said second regions comprises a doped semiconductor material.  
     
     
         928 . A nanoscale wire as recited in  claim 927 , wherein said doped semiconductor material is selected from the group consisting of an elemental semiconductor, a group III-V semiconductor, a group II-VI semiconductor, and alloys thereof.  
     
     
         929 . A nanoscale wire as recited in  claim 926 , wherein at least one of said first or second regions is bulk-doped.  
     
     
         930 . A nanoscale wire, comprising: 
 a first region having a first composition; and    a second region having a second composition adjacent to said first region;    wherein one or more of the first or second regions has a substantially uniform diameter; and    wherein said nanoscale wire displays a property that exhibits a quantum confinement effect that is caused by a dimension of the nanoscale wire.    
     
     
         931 . A nanoscale wire, comprising: 
 a first region having a first composition; and    a second region having a secondicomposition adjacent to said first region;    wherein one or more of the first or second regions has a substantially uniform diameter; and    wherein said nanoscale wire has at least one electronic property that varies as a function of raidus of said nanoscale wire.    
     
     
         932 . A nanoscale wire as recited in  claim 928 , wherein said at least one electronic property of said nanoscale wire comprises band gap energy which varies as a function of radius of said nanoscale wire.  
     
     
         933 . A nanoscale wire, comprising: 
 a first region;    a second region adjacent to said first region; and    a third region adjacent to one or more of said first or second regions;    wherein two or more of said first, second, or third regions are longitudinally adjacent;    wherein two or more of said first, second, or third regions have different compositions; and    wherein one or more of said first, second, or third regions has a substantially uniform diameter of less than about 200 nm.    
     
     
         934 . A nanoscale wire, comprising: 
 a first region;    a second region adjacent to said first region; and    a third region adjacent to one or more of said first or second regions;    wherein two or more of said first, second, or third regions are longitudinally adjacent;    wherein two or more of said first, second, or third regions have different compositions; and    wherein said nanoscale wire displays a property that exhibits a quantum confinement effect that is caused by a dimension of the nanoscale wire.    
     
     
         935 . A nanoscale wire, comprising: 
 a first region;    a second region adjacent to said first region; and    a third region adjacent to one or more of said first or second regions;    wherein two or more of said first, second, or third regions are longitudinally adjacent;    wherein two or more of said first, second, or third regions have different compositions; and    wherein said nanoscale wire has at least one electronic property that varies as a function of radius of one or more of first, second, or third regions.    
     
     
         936 . A nanoscale wire as recited in  claim 935 , wherein said at least one electronic property of said nanoscale wire comprises band gap energy which varies as a function of radius of said nanoscale wire.  
     
     
         937 . A nanoscale wire, comprising: 
 a first region;    a second region adjacent to said first region; and    a third region adjacent to one or more of said first or second regions;    wherein one or more of the first, second, or third regions is a single crystal;    wherein two or more of said first, second, or third regions are longitudinally adjacent;    wherein two or more of said first, second, or third regions have different compositions; and    wherein one or more of said first, second, or third regions has a substantially uniform diameter of less than about 200 nm.    
     
     
         938 . A nanoscale wire as recited in any one of claims  933 ,  934 ,  935 ,  936 , or  937 , wherein at least one of said regions comprises a doped semiconductor material.  
     
     
         939 . A nanoscale wire as recited in  claim 938 , wherein said doped semiconductor material is selected from the group consisting of an elemental semiconductor, a group III-V semiconductor, a group II-VI semiconductor, and alloys thereof.  
     
     
         940 . A nanoscale wire as recited in any one of claims  933 ,  934 ,  935 ,  936 , or  937 , 
 wherein at least one of said regions is bulk-doped.    
     
     
         941 . A nanoscale wire as recited in any one of claims  933 ,  934 ,  935 ,  936 ,  937 ,  938 ,  939 , or  940 , 
 wherein said first and second regions are longitudinally adjacent, and    wherein said third region surrounds at least one of said first or second regions.    
     
     
         942 . A nanoscale wire as recited in any one of claims  933 ,  934 ,  935 ,  936 ,  937 ,  938 ,  939 , or  940 , 
 wherein said first and second regions are longitudinally adjacent, and    wherein said third region surrounds each of the first and second regions.    
     
     
         943 . A nanoscale wire as recited in any one of claims  933 ,  934 ,  935 ,  936 ,  937 ,  938 ,  939 , or  940 , 
 wherein said first and second regions are longitudinally adjacent, and    wherein at least one of said first or second regions surrounds said third region.    
     
     
         944 . A nanoscale wire as recited in any one of claims  933 ,  934 ,  935 ,  936 ,  937 ,  938 ,  939 , or  940 , 
 wherein said first and second regions are longitudinally adjacent, and    wherein each of said first and second regions surrounds said third region.    
     
     
         945 . A nanoscale wire as recited in any one of claims  933 ,  934 ,  935 ,  936 ,  937 ,  938 ,  939 , or  940 , 
 further comprising a fourth region adjacent to at least one of said first or second regions,    said fourth region adjacent to said third region,    wherein said third and fourth regions surrounds said first and second regions.