A fabrication process for self-connected horizontal SiGe nanowires

We present in this paper a low thermal budget process for self-connecting horizontal silicon‑germanium nanowires. The guided nanowires on amorphous oxide layer have been elaborated by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD), using vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism, via a gold catalyst. We have optimized the growth parameters on reference samples with pre-patterned electrodes on SiO2/Si substrate. To control and eliminate the random growth of horizontal NWs, we have developed a technological process to guide these nanowires in nanotrenches created in the oxide to locate gold catalysts and confine planar growth. The silicon germanium nanowire (SiGe NW) connected the predefined electrodes showed an electrical behavior of an intrinsic SiGe NW.