Efficient visible light detection using individual germanium nanowire field effect transistors

We report photoconductivity (PC) in individual germanium nanowire field effect transistors (GeFETs). PC measurements with a global illumination reveal that GeFETs can be used as a polarization-sensitive nanoscale light detector in the visible range. It is also found that the PC shows sensitive optical response especially in the low intensity regime. We observe a high internal gain in PC in conjunction with strong saturation behavior, which is attributed to the filling of surface trapping states. This mechanism for high internal gain is consistent with spatially resolved scanning photocurrent measurements, whose results confirm that optical absorption is in the linear regime. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.