Nanoscale polymer electrolytes: Fabrication and applications using nanowire transistors

We present a method to pattern the poly(ethylene oxide)/LiClO4 polymer electrolyte on the nm-scale by electron beam lithography. We use the patterned polymer electrolyte as a high capacitance gate dielectric for InAs nanowire transistors in a `wrap-gate' geometry. Patterning enabled multiple independently controllable gates on the same device, which exhibit stability and subthreshold characteristics comparable to conventional metal/oxide wrap-gates at room temperature. The strong tuning at room temperature combined with the `freeze-out' of Li+/ClO4- transport for T <; 220 K allows a wide range of charge environments to be set and held for quantum transport measurements. The simplicity of fabrication and excellent gate characteristics broadens the scope for polymer electrolyte gating in studies of nanowires and other nanoscale devices.