TY - JOUR

T1 - Radio-Frequency C-V Measurements with Subattofarad Sensitivity

AU - Malinowski, Filip K.

AU - Han, Lin

AU - de Jong, Damaz

AU - Wang, Ji-Yin

AU - Prosko, Christian G.

AU - Badawy, Ghada

AU - Gazibegovic, Sasa

AU - Liu, Yu

AU - Krogstrup, Peter

AU - Bakkers, Erik P. A. M.

AU - Kouwenhoven, Leo P.

AU - V. Koski, Jonne

PY - 2022/8/11

Y1 - 2022/8/11

N2 - We demonstrate the use of radio-frequency (rf) resonators to measure the capacitance of nanoscale semiconducting devices in field-effect transistor configurations. The rf resonator is attached to the gate or the lead of the device. Consequently, tuning the carrier density in the conducting channel of the device affects the resonance frequency, quantitatively reflecting its capacitance. We test the measurement method on InSb and InAs nanowires at dilution-refrigerator temperatures. The measured capacitances are consis-tent with those inferred from the periodicity of the Coulomb blockade of quantum dots realized in the same devices. In an implementation of the resonator using an off-chip superconducting spiral inductor we find the measurement sensitivity values reaching down to 75 zF/root Hz at 1 kHz measurement bandwidth, and noise down to 0.45 aF at 1 Hz bandwidth. We estimate the sensitivity of the method for a number of other implementations. In particular, we predict a typical sensitivity of about 40 zF/root Hz at room temperature with a resonator composed of off-the-shelf components. Of several proposed applications, we demonstrate two: the capacitance measurement of several identical 80-nm-wide gates with a single resonator, and the field-effect mobility measurement of an individual nanowire with the gate capacitance measured in situ.

AB - We demonstrate the use of radio-frequency (rf) resonators to measure the capacitance of nanoscale semiconducting devices in field-effect transistor configurations. The rf resonator is attached to the gate or the lead of the device. Consequently, tuning the carrier density in the conducting channel of the device affects the resonance frequency, quantitatively reflecting its capacitance. We test the measurement method on InSb and InAs nanowires at dilution-refrigerator temperatures. The measured capacitances are consis-tent with those inferred from the periodicity of the Coulomb blockade of quantum dots realized in the same devices. In an implementation of the resonator using an off-chip superconducting spiral inductor we find the measurement sensitivity values reaching down to 75 zF/root Hz at 1 kHz measurement bandwidth, and noise down to 0.45 aF at 1 Hz bandwidth. We estimate the sensitivity of the method for a number of other implementations. In particular, we predict a typical sensitivity of about 40 zF/root Hz at room temperature with a resonator composed of off-the-shelf components. Of several proposed applications, we demonstrate two: the capacitance measurement of several identical 80-nm-wide gates with a single resonator, and the field-effect mobility measurement of an individual nanowire with the gate capacitance measured in situ.

KW - COMPRESSIBILITY

KW - CAPACITANCE

KW - ELECTRON

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevApplied.18.024032

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevApplied.18.024032

M3 - Journal article

VL - 18

JO - Physical Review Applied

JF - Physical Review Applied

SN - 2331-7019

IS - 2

M1 - 024032

ER -