Nonlinear electron transport characteristics in ultrathin wires of recrystallized hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Electron transport in nanowires of hydrogenated amorphous silicon recrystallized by electron beam annealing has been studied. Evidence for single electron effects with $\mathrm{I–V}$ characteristics at low temperature has been presented. The region of the nonlinear $\mathrm{I–V}$ characteristics is modeled as a hopping conduction between limited number of trapping sites in amorphous regions or at grain boundaries with Coulomb blockade effect. Transmission electron microscopy is used to support this hypothesis.