A silicon quantum wire transistor with one-dimensional subband effects

A silicon quantum wire transistor, in which electrons are transported through a very narrow wire, has been fabricated using silicon-on-insulator technology, electron beam lithography, anisotropic dry etching, and thermal oxidation. We have obtained the quantum wire with a width of 65 nm, which is fully embedded in silicon dioxide. This narrow dimension of the wire and large potential barrier between silicon and silicon dioxide make the electrons moving through the wire experience one-dimensional confinement. The step-like structure in the conductance versus gate voltage curve, which is a typical evidence of one-dimensional conductance, has been observed at temperatures below 4.2 K. A period of step appearance and a step size have been analyzed to compare experimental characteristics with theoretical calculation.