Elimination of the Schottky Barrier at an Au-ZnSe Nanowire Nanocontact via in Situ Joule Heating

In order to improve electron transport, in situ Joule heating of an Au-ZnSe nanowire-Au (M-S-M) nanostructure is conducted inside transmission electron microscopy (TEM) until the Au metal is molten at the reversely biased Au-ZnSe nanowire (M-S) nanocontact. The observed microstructural evolution is responsible for the electron transport property changes, i.e. a nonlinear to linear transformation in the current-voltage (I–V) relationship was measured in situ before and after the Joule annealing. The linear characteristic in the I–V relationship confirms elimination of the Schottky barrier at the M-S nanocontact and formation of ohmic contacts. Consequently, electron transport at the M-S nanocontact can be significantly improved by the removal of the Schottky barrier via in situ Joule heating.