NANOSTRUCTURES CONTAINING METAL-SEMICONDUCTOR COMPOUNDS

摘要

The present invention generally relates to devices and components for use in nanotechnology and sub-microelectronic circuitry that include metal-semiconductor compounds such as metal silicides. The present invention also, in some embodiments, provides methods of forming such devices and components by allowing a first material to diffuse into a second material, optionally creating a new compound. Thus, as an example, metal atoms are allowed to diffuse into a semiconductor to create the metal-semiconductor compound. In some cases, the device may include a component that is a single crystal. Certain metal-semiconductor compounds of the invention have novel physical/electrical properties, for example, low resistivities, high conductivities, high current density capacities, and the like. In some embodiments, a component of the invention may have two or more regions that differ in composition, where one or both of the regions can include a metal-semiconductor compound. In some cases, the regions may be created by using a mask or a nanoscale wire to define the two or more regions.