Electron states in a silicon nanowire in the presence of surface potential and field

In this paper, the energy states of electrons in a silicon nanowire are analytically calculated in the presence of a surface potential and an electric field, as in a nanowire field-effect transistor. The calculations are done for both partial and complete volume inversion and accumulation biasing conditions. Computations are performed for the 〈100〉 and 〈110〉 orientations of the silicon nanowire. The results show the effects of the surface potential, the electric field and the transverse dimensions of the nanowire on the electron energies and wavefunctions. Depending on the combinations of the surface potential and electric field, the energy level can increase, decrease or remain constant as the thickness of the nanowire increases. It is also observed that higher surface potentials can significantly change the energy states due to the increase of volume inversion/accumulation.