T-shaped SnO2 nanowire current splitter

We experimentally show the detailed electrical transport characteristics of an SnO2 nanomaterial with three-branch junction morphology, termed the nanowire T-junction. By contacting the three branches of a T-junction as the gate, source and drain, some control and tunability has been achieved over the output current, without the need for an external gate, analogous to the operation of a field effect transistor. Our results suggest that SnO2 T-junction nanostructures represent novel current splitters with potential electronic applications. The different resistivities for each branch across the junction can be mainly attributed to differences of the defects and dislocations at the junction. The gating effects are directly related to the resistances of each branch and are electric field dependent. These features mean that SnO2 T-junctions may be useful in nanoelectronic devices.