A study of the size effect on the temperature-dependent resistivity of bismuth nanowireswith rectangular cross-sections

Abstract

Rectangular cross-section bismuth nanowires with dimensions of 50 nm by 70–200 nm (thicknessby width) were fabricated using an electron beam writing technique. Individual nanowiremeasurement is possible using this method. The resistivities of the 50 nm thick nanowires weredependent on line width. The measured resistivity of 70, 120 and 200 nm wide nanowires was4.05 × 10−3,2.87 × 10−3 and 2.30 × 10−3 Ω cm at 300 K respectively. Temperature-dependent resistance measurements indicatedthat the electrical conductivity of the Bi nanowires was carrier dependent, andthe carrier density decreased at low temperature, showing that the all the Binanowires exhibited semiconductor behaviour. The size-dependent resistivity of the Binanowires was an indication of the ordinary size effect in the one-dimensionalnanowire, where the carrier mobility was grain boundary scattering dominated.