Cryogenic performance of field-effect transistors and amplifiers based on selective area grown InAs nanowires

Efforts to achieve large-scale electronic quantum circuits motivate the search for the optimal scalable and reproducible platform for mesoscopic devices. Selective area growth (SAG) of III-V semiconductor nanowires (NWs) offers scalability and planar geometries compatible with standard semiconductor processing techniques. We have fabricated a large-scale multiplexer/demultiplexer circuit incorporating thousands of interconnected SAG Indium-Arsenide (InAs) nanowire field-effect transistors (NWFETs), which are promising candidates for high-speed low-power nanoelectronics operating at cryogenic conditions, relevant for quantum information processing. We characterize the low-temperature performance of the NWFETs, focusing on key parameters such as ION/IOFF ratios, threshold voltages, sub-threshold slopes, interfacial trap densities, hysteresis, and mobility. The NWFETs operate successfully in integrated circuitry relying on saturation-mode operation and show reproducible characteristics. Additionally, we explore sub-threshold applications such as amplifiers, where we find bandwidths exceeding our cryostat wiring, though the gate hysteresis presents challenges for precise tuning of the amplifier operating point. We discuss the role of crystal imperfections and fabrication processes on the transistor characteristics and propose strategies for further improvements.