Effects of Asymmetric Local Joule Heating on Silicon Nanowire-Based Devices Formed by Dielectrophoresis Alignment Across Pt Electrodes.

We demonstrate the fabrication and characterization of silicon nanowire-based devices in metal-nanowire-metal configuration using direct current dielectrophoresis. The current-voltage characteristics of the devices were found rectifying, and their direction of rectification could be determined by voltage sweep direction due to the asymmetric Joule heating effect that occurred in the electrical measurement process. The photosensing properties of the rectifying devices were investigated.