Influence of the Si/SiO2 interface on the charge carrier density of Si nanowires

The electrical properties of Si nanowires covered by a SiO2 shell are influenced by the properties of the Si/SiO2 interface. This interface can be characterized by the fixed oxide charge density Qf and the interface trap level density Dit. We derive expressions for the effective charge carrier density in silicon nanowires as a function of Qf, Dit, the nanowire radius, and the dopant density. It is found that a nanowire is fully depleted when its radius is smaller than a critical radius acrit. An analytic expression for acrit is derived.