Band Structure Engineering in Semiconductor Microstructures

382 Pages·1989·12.097 MB·English

by  Richard M. Martin (auth.), R. A. Abram, M. Jaros (eds.)

Band Structure Engineering
in Semiconductor
Microstructures
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Series B: Physics
Band Structure Engineering
in Semiconductor
Microstructures
Edited by
R. A. Abram
School of Engineering and Applied Science
University of Durham
Durham, United Kingdom
and
M. Jaros
Department of Theoretical Physics
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Plenum Press
New York and London
Published in cooperation with NATO Scientific Affairs Division
Proceedings of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop
on Band Structure Engineering in Semiconductor Microstructures,
held April 10-15, 1988,
in II Ciocco, Italy
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Band Structure Engineering in
Semiconductor Microstructures (1988: II Ciocco, Italy)
Band structure engineering in semiconductor microstructures I edited by R.
A. Abram and M. Jaros.
p. cm.-(NATO ASI series. Series B, Physics; v. 189)
"Proceedings of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Band Structure
Engineering in Semiconductor Microstructures, held April 10-15, 1988, in II
Ciocco, Italy"-T.p. verso.
"Published in cooperation with NATO Scientific Affairs Division."
Includes bibliographies and indexes.
ISBN 978-1-4757-0772-4 ISBN 978-1-4757-0770-0 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4757-0770-0
1. Semiconductors-Congresses. 2. Microstructure-Congresses. 3. Energy
band theory of solids-Congresses. I. Abram, R. A. II. Jaros M. III. North Atlantic
Treaty Organization. Scientific Affairs Division. IV. Title. V. Series.
QC610.9.N36 1988 88-29430
530A/1-dc19 CIP
© 1989 Plenum Press, New York
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This book contains the proceedings of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop
held within the program of activities of the NATO Special Program on Con
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Other books previously published as a result of the activities of the Special
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Volume 152 OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF NARROW-GAP LOW-DIMENSIONAL
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edited by C. M. Sotomayor Torres, J. C. Portal, J. C. Maan, and
R. A. Stradling
Volume 163 THIN FILM GROWTH TECHNIQUES FOR LOW-DIMENSIONAL
STRUCTURES
edited by R. F. C. Farrow, S. S. P. Parkin, P. J. Dobson,
J. H. Neave, and A. S. Arrott
Volume 168 ORGANIC AND INORGANIC LOW-DIMENSIONAL CRYSTALLINE
MATERIALS
edited by Pierre Delhaes and Marc Drillon
Volume 172 CHEMICAL PHYSICS OF INTERCALATION
edited by A. P. Legrand and S. Flandrois
Volume 182 PHYSICS, FABRICATION, AND APPLICATIONS OF
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edited by P. Dhez and C. Weisbuch
Volume 183 PROPERTIES OF IMPURITY STATES IN SUPERLATTICE
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edited by C. Y. Fong, Inder P. Batra, and S. Ciraci
Volume 188 REFLECTION HIGH-ENERGY ELECTRON DIFFRACTION AND
REFLECTION ELECTRON IMAGING OF SURFACES
edited by P. K. Larsen and P. J. Dobson
PREFACE
This volume contains the proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research
Workshop on Band Structure Engineering in Semiconductor Microstructures
held at Il Ciocco, Castelvecchio Pascali in Tuscany between 10th and 15th
April 1988.
Research on semiconductor microstructures has expanded rapidly in
recent years as a result of developments in the semiconductor growth and
device fabrication technologies. The emergence of new semiconductor
structures has facilitated a number of approaches to producing systems
with certain features in their electronic structure which can lead to
useful or interesting properties. The interest in band structure
engineering has stimd ated a variety of physical investigations and nove 1
device concepts and the field now exhibits a fascinating interplay
betwepn pure physics and device technology. Devices based on microstruc
tures are useful vehicles for fundamental studies but also new device
ideas require a thorough understanding of the basic physics.
Around forty researchers gathered at I1 Ciocco in the Spring of 1988
to discuss band structure engineering in semiconductor microstructures.
A broad view was taken of the field, but the emphasis was put on physical
understanding with much consideration given to methods of calculation and
experimental investigation of band structure as well as to new ideas and
practical achievements in engineering bandstructure. The collection of
papers in this volume is a record of most of the talks given at the
Workshop. The meeting programme allowed substantial time for discussion
but unfortunately it was not possible to provide a written record of the
contributions from a lively and informed audience, that interspersed the
talks and became an integral part of the Workshop. Because of their
considerable overlap of subj ect matter, the papers have been arranged
under three broad headings (Electronic Structure, Band Offsets and
Stability; Transport Properties; and Optical Properties) rather than
attempting a division into a number of smaller groupings.
The editors are grateful to all those concerned with the organisa
tion of the Workshop, and to the speakers who have met a tight schedule
in providing manuscripts for the proceedings. Thanks are also due to
Miss Jane ~lilson and Mrs. Pauline Morrell for their assistance in the
preparation of material for the meeting and the proceedings.
vii
CONTENTS
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE, BAND OFFSETS AND STABILITY
Comments on "Can band offsets be modified controllably?" 1
R. M. Martin
The pressure dependent band offset in a type II superlattice, a
test for band line-up theories. 7
L. M. Claessen
Electronic properties of semiconductor interfaces the control of
interface barriers 21
F. Flores
Polar/polar, covalent/covalent and covalent/polar semiconductor
superlattices 33
S. Ciraci
Band offsets at semiconductor heterojunctions: bulk or interface
properties? 51
S. Baroni, R. Resta and A. Baldereschi
The physics of Hg-based heterostructures 61
M. Voos
Valence band discontinuities in HgTe-CdTe-ZnTe heterojunction
systems 81
J. P. Faurie
Exact envelope function equations for microstructures and the
particle in a box model 99
M. G. Burt
A method for calculating electronic structure of semiconductor
superlattices: perturbation III
H. M. Polatoglou, G. Kanellis and G. Theodorou
The effects of ordering in ternary semiconductor alloys:
electronic and structural properties 119
K. E. Newman, D. Teng, J. Shen and B. L. Gu
Ab-initio molecular dynamics studies of microclusters 129
w.
Andreoni, G. Pastore, R. Car, M. Parrinello and P. Giannozzi
ix
TRANSPORT PROPERTIES
Quantum interference in semiconductor devices 137
M. Pepper
A review of developments in resonant tunnelling 149
L. Eaves, F. W. Sheard and G. A. Toombs
Observation of ballistic holes 167
M. Heiblum, K. Seo, H. P. Meier and T. W. Hickmott
Quantum transport theory of resonant tunnelling devices 177
W. R. Frensley
Hot electron effects in microstructures 187
P. Lugli
Models for scattering and vertical transport in microstructures
and superlattices 201
D. C. Herbert
Electron beam source molecular beam epitaxy of Al Gal As graded
band gap device structures x -x 217
R. J. Malik, A. F. J. Levi, B. F. Levine, R. C. Miller, D. V.
Lang, L. C. Hopkins and R. W. Ryan
Future trends in quantum semiconductor devices 225
M. J. Kelly
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
Novel optical properties of InGaAs-InP quantum wells 233
M. S. Skolnick, K. J. Nash, S. J. Bass, L. L. Taylor, A. D.
Pitt, L. J. Reed and M. K. Saker
Time resolved spectroscopy of GaAs/AIGaAs quantum well structures 247
E. O. Gobel
Recombination mechanisms in a type II GaAs/AIGaAs superlattice 253
T. W. Steiner, D. J. Wolford, S. W. Tozer, T. F. Kuech
and M. Jaros
Interface recombination in GaAs-GaAIAs quantum wells 259
B. Sermage
The interface as a design tool for modelling of optical and
electronic properties of quantum well devices 269
J. Christen and D. Bimberg
Characterization and design of semiconductor lasers using strain 279
A. R. Adams, K. C. Heasman and E. P. O'Reilly
Photoreflectance and photoluminescence of strained In Gal As/GaAs
single quantum wells x -x 303
D. J. Arent, K. Deneffe, C. Van Hoof, J. De Boeck, R. Mertens
and G. Bor ghs
Excitons in quantum well structures 311
K. K. Bajaj, G. D. Sanders and R. L. Greene
x
Fourier determination of the hole wavefunctions in p-type
modulation doped quantum wells by resonant Raman scattering 325
G. Fasol, T. Suemoto, U. Ekenberg and K. Ploog
Optical properties of superlattices 341
Y. C. Chang, H. Chu and G. D. Sanders
Ab-initio calculated optical properties of [001] (GaAs) - (AlAs)
n n
superlattices 359
R. Eppenga and M. F. H. Schuurmans
Effect of a parallel magnetic field on the hole levels in
semiconductor superlattices 367
A. Fasolino ane M. Altarelli
Profit from heterostructure engineering 375
G. J.Rees
Participar,ts 383
Index 385
xi
COMMENTS ON "CAN BAND OFFSETS BE CHANGED CONTROLLABLY?"
Richard M. Martin
Department of Physics
University of Illinois
Urbana, IL 61801
Abstract
Offsets of valence and conduction bands at interfaces are among the key design
parameters which allow engineering of electronic properties of semiconductor
heterostructures. In this paper are discussed some current theoretical ideas on the causes of
the offsets and the extent to which the interface dipole can be changed by atomic scale
control of the chemical composition at the interface. The primary conclusion is that
significant variations appear possible by the dipoles due to oriented pairs of polar atoms at
the interface. Conditions where this can occur are discussed.
Introduction
"Band Gap Engineering" of semiconductor materials can be accomplished if high
quality materials can be produced with controlled variations in the active electronic states -
the highest states at the top of the valence bands and the lowest states at the bottom of the
conduction bands. In ordinary bulk semiconductors the variables which have been used to
engineer the desired properties are the composition of alloys and doping. Modem methods
of preparation of materials, such as molecular beam epitaxy and chemical vapor deposition,
make it possible to vary the composition of the materials on atomic length scales to create
heterostructures. As is well known, these artificial structures exhibit a rich variety of
electronic states different from any that exist in ordinary crystals. Therefore, the
engineering which we address here is the atomic scale control of the composition of
heterostructures and the resulting electronic properties.
The key aspect of heterostructures that lead to novel electronic properties is the
spatial variation of characteristic electronic energies. 1 This is commonly described in terms
of variations in the band edges with position. As illustrated in Fig. 1, this often can be
divided into slowly varying band bending plus rapid variations at abrupt interfaces. The
band bending results from charged donor or acceptors which create dipoles which shift the
bands, as in ordinary p-n junctions and in n-i-p-i structures. The abrupt jump is due to
chemical composition variation immediately at the interface. The net result is that Fermi
energies are properly equalized at large distances by the combined effects.