Unipolar and bipolar operation of InAs/InSb nanowire heterostructure field-effect transistors

We present temperature dependent electrical measurements on n-type InAs/InSb nanowire heterostructure field-effect transistors. The barrier height of the heterostructure junction is determined to be 220 meV, indicating a broken bandgap alignment. A clear asymmetry is observed when applying a bias to either the InAs or the InSb side of the junction. Impact ionization and band-to-band tunneling is more pronounced when the large voltage drop occurs in the narrow bandgap InSb segment. For small negative gate-voltages, the InSb segment can be tuned toward p-type conduction, which induces a strong band-to-band tunneling across the heterostructucture junction. (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3633742]