One dimensional semiconductor nanostructures: An effective active-material for terahertz detection

One-dimensional (1D) nanostructure devices are at the frontline of studies on future electronics, although issues like massive parallelization, doping control, surface effects, and compatibility with silicon industrial requirements are still open challenges. The recent progresses in atomic to nanometer scale control of materials morphology, size, and composition including the growth of axial, radial, and branched nanowire (NW)-based heterostructures make the NW an ideal building block for implementing rectifying diodes or detectors that could be well operated into the Terahertz (THz), thanks to their typical achievable attofarad-order capacitance. Here, we report on our recent progresses in the development of 1D InAs or InAs/InSb NW-based field effect transistors exploiting novel morphologies and/or material combinations effective for addressing the goal of a semiconductor plasma-wave THz detector array technology. Through a critical review of material-related parameters (NW doping concentration, geometry, and/or material choice) and antenna-related issues, here we underline the crucial aspects that can affect detection performance across the THz frequency region.