Transport studies of MBE-grown InAs/GaSb superlattices

We report on the results of transport studies of MBE-grown InAs/GaSb superlattices. We demonstrate that the in-plane mobility is limited by interface roughness scattering by showing that, as a function of InAs layer width L, the in-plane mobility behaves as μ ∝ L^5.3, which closely follows the classic sixth power dependence expected from theory for interface-roughness-limited mobility. Fits to the mobility data indicate that, for one monolayer surface roughness, the roughness correlation length is about 35 Å. Next, we show that the in-plane carrier mobility in InAs/GaSb superlattices is inversely proportional to carrier density in n- and p-type samples, the result of screened interface roughness scattering.     

Adhesion of elastic films on mound rough surfaces

In this work, we have investigated the adhesive behaviour of elastic films in contact with solid substrates, which are bounded by mound surface roughness. This type of roughness is described by the rms roughness amplitude w, the average mound separation Λ, and the system correlation length ζ. It is shown that both lateral roughness parameters Λ and ζ strongly influence adhesive characteristics. Indeed, with increasing elastic film modulus E, film adhesion is only possible for sufficiently large mound separations Λ. Moreover, the critical elastic modulus E_c (for which spontaneous film decohesion takes place for E>E_c) is shown to increase fast with increasing mound separation Λ when Λ?ζ, while as a function of the system correlation length ζ it increases relatively fast when ζ?Λ.     

Well-width dependence of interface roughness scattering in GaAs/Ga1 − xAlxAs quantum wells

Well-width dependence of quantum and transport mobilities of electrons in GaAs/GaAlAs multiple quantum wells is studied for wells with widths ranging between 50 Å and 145 Å Experimental results are obtained from the amplitude analysis of the Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) oscillations and from conventional Hall measurements at temperatures betweenT = 15 K and 4.2 K. A novel technique is employed to estimate, theoretically, the interface roughness parameters from electron quantum and transport lifetimes. The modelling is carried out for a range of layer fluctuations, width (Δ) and lateral size (Λ), as to obtain the best fit to the experimental results for individual samples. Our results indicate that the interface roughness scattering limits equal both quantum and transport mobilities at low temperatures, and that the nature of scattering by interface roughness (small or large angle) depends not only on the size and the width of the fluctuations but also on the distribution of these fluctuations within the samples. Therefore, unlike the predictions of the existing theoretical models, which assume constant values of Δ and Λ for all well widths, the well-width dependence of interface roughness scattering cannot be verified experimentally.     

Determination of the LO phonon energy by using electronic and optical methods in AlGaN/GaN

The longitudinal optical (LO) phonon energy in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures is determined from temperature-dependent Hall effect measurements and also from Infrared (IR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The Hall effect measurements on AlGaN/GaN heterostructures grown by MOCVD have been carried out as a function of temperature in the range 1.8-275 K at a fixed magnetic field. The IR and Raman spectroscopy measurements have been carried out at room temperature. The experimental data for the temperature dependence of the Hall mobility were compared with the calculated electron mobility. In the calculations of electron mobility, polar optical phonon scattering, ionized impurity scattering, background impurity scattering, interface roughness, piezoelectric scattering, acoustic phonon scattering and dislocation scattering were taken into account at all temperatures. The result is that at low temperatures interface roughness scattering is the dominant scattering mechanism and at high temperatures polar optical phonon scattering is dominant.     

The effect of interface roughness scattering on low field mobility of 2D electron gas in GaN/AlGaN heterostructure

We report the results of our experimental and theoretical studies concerning the temperature dependence of electron mobility in a two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) confined at the GaN/AlGaN interface. Experimental mobility of about at 3.8 K remains almost constant up to lattice temperature , it then decreases rapidly down to about at . The results are discussed using a theoretical model that takes into account the most important scattering mechanisms contributing to determine the mobility of electrons in 2DEG. We show that the polar optical phonon scattering is the dominant mechanism at high temperatures and the acoustic deformation potential and piezoelectric scatterings are dominant at the intermediate temperatures. At low temperatures, the Hall mobility is confined by both the interface roughness (IFR) and ionised impurity scattering. The correlation length (Λ) and lateral size (Δ) of roughness at the GaN/AlGaN heterointerface have been determined by fitting best to our low-temperature experimental data.     

Extraction and scattering analyses of 2D and bulk carriers in epitaxial graphene-on-SiC structure

Hall effect measurements of a graphene-on-SiC system were carried out as a function of temperature (1.8–200 K) at a static magnetic field (0.5 T). With the analysis of temperature dependent single-field Hall data with the Simple Parallel Conduction Extraction Method (SPCEM), bulk and two-dimensional (2D) carrier densities and mobilities were extracted successfully. Bulk carrier is attributed to SiC substrate and 2D carrier is attributed to the graphene layer. For each SPCEM extracted carrier data, relevant three-dimensional or 2D scattering analyses were performed. Each SPCEM extracted carrier data were explained with the related scattering analyses. A temperature independent mobility component, which may related to an interaction between graphene and SiC, was observed for both scattering analyses with the same mobility limiting value. With the SPCEM, effective ionized impurity concentration of SiC substrate, extracted 2D-mobility, and sheet carrier density of the graphene layer are calculated with using temperature dependent static magnetic field Hall data.     

Two-dimensional electronic transport in In0.53Ga0.47As quantum Wells

Transport properties of the electrons itinerant two dimensionality in a square quantum well of In_0.53Ga_0.47As are studied in the framework of Fermi-Dirac statistics including the relevant scattering mechanisms. An iterative solution of the Boltzmann equation shows that the ohmic mobility is controlled by LO phonon scattering at room temperature, but below 130 K alloy scattering is predominant. The calculated mobilities with a suitable value of the alloy scattering potential agree with the experimental results over a range of lattice temperature. For lattice temperatures below 25 K where the carrier energy loss is governed by the deformation potential acoustic scattering, the warm electron coefficient is found to be negative. Its magnitude decreases with increasing lattice temperature and is greater for larger channel widths. Values of the small-signal AC mobility of hot electrons at a lattice temperature of 4.2 K are obtained for different sheet carrier densities and channel widths. Cut-off frequencies around 100 GHz are indicated.Dedicated to H.-J. Queisser on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

A systematic study of the electron mobility in V-shaped quantum wires at low temperatures

We present a systematic study of the electron mobility in V-shaped AlGaAs/GaAs quantum wires taking into account the impurity (background, remote and interface) and the acoustic-phonon scattering. The electron scattering rates are calculated for wires with electron concentrations up to 10⁶ cm⁻¹ and temperatures up to 40 K by using Fermi’s golden rule. The effects of the interface roughness scattering and the alloy scattering are also discussed. The energy eigenstates and eigenvalues of the system under study are calculated using a finite difference method. We analyze the importance of each scattering mechanism on the mobility of several quantum wires of different qualities as a function of the electron concentration and the temperature.     

Remote polar phonon scattering for hot electrons in Si-inversion layers

The effect of the remote interfacial phonon (R.I.P.) scattering on the carrier drift velocity v is evaluated in function of the effective mobility, i.e. in function of the surface roughness. A perturbation theory using the experimental ν?F relation as a zero order approximation is used to calculate the contribution of the R.I.P. scattering. The calculation shows that the influence of this phonon mode scattering on the transport properties in Si-inversion layers is dependent on the carrier low field mobility and is of the order of 10%. The R.I.P. scattering is particularly significant in the warm electron regime, having no consequence on the saturation velocity.     

Ion velocity distribution function in intrinsic gas at cryogenic gas temperatures

The influence of elastic scattering on the ion distribution function in the plasma of an intrinsic gas in weak fields has been considered. An analytical expression valid for cryogenic temperatures of atoms has been obtained. The reduced He⁺–He, Ar⁺–Ar mobilities as functions of the temperature of atoms in a range of 4–1000 K have been calculated in the approximation of the zero field taking into account elastic collisions; the calculated dependences well agree with the available experimental data. It has been demonstrated that elastic collisions play an important role in the formation of the ion distribution function at low temperatures. The results of measurement of the ion mobility in the limit of the zero field at low temperatures can be used to obtain data on the ratio of elastic scattering and resonance charge exchange cross sections.     

Transport properties of the two-dimensional electron gas in wide AlP quantum wells including temperature and correlation effects

We investigate the mobility, magnetoresistance and scattering time of a quasi-two-dimensional electron gas in a GaP/AlP/GaP quantum well of width L>L_c=45.7 Å at zero and finite temperatures. We consider the interface-roughness and impurity scattering, and study the dependence of the mobility, the resistance and scattering time ratio on the carrier density and quantum well width for different values of the impurity position and temperature using different approximations for the local-field correction. In the case of zero temperature and Hubbard local-field correction our results reduce to those of Gold and Marty (Phys. Rev. B. 76 (2007) 165309) [3]. We also study the correlation and multiple scattering effects on the total mobility and the critical density for a metal–insulator transition.     

Surface roughness scattering limited mobility of one dimensional electron gas in a narrow channel FET

An expression has been derived for the relaxation time due to surface roughness scattering of a one dimensional electron gas (1DEG) in a narrow channel FET. The bumps in the interface are assumed to have Gaussian autocorrelation. The values of mobility at low temperature are calculated for the 1DEG in GaAs HEMTs for different 1D densities and are compared with the values limited by phonon and impurity scattering. For moderate values of 1D density, surface roughness scattering is as important as the impurity scattering. A rough estimate of the effect of screening on the values of mobilities is also made.     

Temperature dependence of hole mobility in n-type InSb upon electron bombardment

The mobility of the minority carriers, in n-InSb was investigated from the photomagnetoelectric effect as a function of temperature in the range of 12–80 K prior to and after bombardment with 1 MeV average energy beta particles. The hole mobility shows a minimum near 40 K which can be due to the h-e scattering becoming predominant in the region where other scattering mechanisms are relatively weak. After bombardment the curves have the same form but higher mobilities. This is due to a decrease of h-e scattering resulting from the decrease of the electron concentration, as determined from independent measurements.     

Influence of temperature on strain-induced polarization Coulomb field scattering in AlN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors

Electron mobility scattering mechanism in AlN/GaN heterostuctures is investigated by temperature-dependent Hall measurement, and it is found that longitudinal optical phonon scattering dominates electron mobility near room temperature while the interface roughness scattering becomes the dominant carrier scattering mechanism at low temperatures(～100 K).Based on measured current–voltage characteristics of prepared rectangular AlN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistor under different temperatures, the temperature-dependent variation of electron mobility under different gate biases is investigated. The polarization Coulomb field(PCF) scattering is found to become an important carrier scattering mechanism after device processing under different temperatures. Moreover, it is found that the PCF scattering is not generated from the thermal stresses, but from the piezoelectric contribution induced by the electrical field in the thin AlN barrier layer. This is attributed to the large lattice mismatch between the extreme thinner AlN barrier layer and GaN, giving rise to a stronger converse piezoelectric effect.     

Characterization of the hole transport and electrical properties in poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene)

A systematic study of the hole transport and electrical properties in blue-emitting polymers as poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) (PFO) has been performed. We show that the temperature dependent and thickness dependent current density versus voltage characteristics of PFO hole-only devices can be accurately described using our recently introduced improved mobility model based on both the Arrhenius temperature dependence and non-Arrhenius temperature dependence. Within the improved model, the mobility depends on three important physical quantities: temperature, carrier density, and electric field. For the polymer studied, we find the width of the density of states σ=0.115 eV and the lattice constant a=1.2 nm. Furthermore, we show that the boundary carrier density has an important effect on the current density versus voltage characteristics. Too large or too small values of the boundary carrier density lead to incorrect current density versus voltage characteristics. The numerically calculated carrier density is a decreasing function of distance from the interface. The numerically calculated electric field is an increasing function of distance. Both the maximum of carrier density and minimum of electric field appear near the interface.     

Electronic properties of epitaxial 6H silicon carbide

The electrical conductivity and Hall coefficient were measured in the temperature range from 78 to 900 K for n-type epitaxially grown 6H silicon carbide. A many-valley model of the conduction band was used in the analysis of electron concentration as a function of temperature. From this analysis, the density of states mass to the free electron mass ratio per ellipsoid was calculated to be 0.45. It was estimated that the constant energy surface of the conduction band consists of three ellipsoids. The ionization energy of the shallowest nitrogen donor was found to be 105 meV, when the valley-orbit interaction was taken into account. The electron scattering mechanisms in the epitaxial layers were analyzed and it was shown that the dominant mechanism limiting electron mobility at high temperatures is inter-valley scattering and at low temperatures (200 K), impurity and space charge scattering. A value of $\text{360}\text{cm}{}^2\text{V}$ sec was calculated for the maximum room temperature Hall mobility expected for electrons in pure 6H SiC. The effect of epitaxial growth temperature on room temperature Hall mobility was also investigated.     

Non-equivalent minima scattering in n-type Ga1−xAlxAs alloys from Monte Carlo methods

Using the known conduction band structure for Ga_1?xAl_xAs alloys, the electron drift mobilities in the Γ, L and X minima have been calculated as a function of pressure using Monte Carlo methods. These mobilities are found to decrease first, show a minimum at a pressure near the Γ-L minima crossover and then increase again with pressure due to strong non-equivalent intervalley scattering. The calculated Hall mobility also shows similar behaviour and the results are in qualitative agreement with the experimental observations reported earlier.     

Low-temperature electron transport in GaAs

For temperatures between 5 and 80 K, electron mobilities in n-type GaAs have been calculated using ionized impurity cross sections derived from the partial wave phase shift method. The mobilities obtained differ significantly from those calculated previously using Brooks-Herring theory. Although agreement with data from a number of experimental samples is good above 30 K, the theoretical mobilities tend to overestimate experiment at lower temperatures. In order to improve the agreement it may be necessary to incorporate the effects of multi-ion scattering and collision-broadening, and to generalize the screened Coulomb scattering potential.     

Transport properties of photo-excited carriers in slightly compensated Hg0.785Cd0.215Te

Photo-Hall measurements are presented for slightly compensated n-type Hg_0.785Cd_0.215Te at 4 K where the electron mobility is limited by charged scattering centers. Using a 10.6 μm laser as the optical source, we observe that the electron mobility passes through a maximum as a function of photo-excited carrier density. Mobility expressions based on the Kane-band model are modified to incorporate neutralization of charged scattering centers by photo-excited carriers. Calculated mobility values are found to be in satisfactory agreement with the data. The observed decrease in mobility for high carrier densities is attributed to electron-hole scattering. The mobility enhancement at lower carrier densities is explained in terms of neutralization of charged acceptors.     

Transport properties of conduction electrons in n-type inversion layers in (100) surfaces of silicon

The conductivities of n-type inversion layers in (100) surfaces of p-type silicon were measured extensively as functions of electron density in the inversion layer, the ambient temperature and the applied magnetic field. Measurements were made on the carefully fabricated four “classes” of MOS field-effect transistors whose maximum mobilities at 4·2K were 14,000, 8000, 6800 and 1500 cm²/V·sec, respectively. From the temperature dependence of the mobility, dominant momentum scattering was reasonably ascribed to surfon at 100 ～ 300 K. and degenerate or non-degenerate coulomb scattering at lower temperatures as treated by Stern and Howard. From the curves of conductivity vs temperature at low temperatures and low electron concentration for specimens with high mobilities, an activation energy of 1·2 meV, relating to the shallow bound states associated with the lowest electrin sub-band, was observed. The conductivity σ_xx of the inversion layer in a strong transverse magnetic field showed behaviors like those of completely free electrons without effects belonging to its material in its oscillation pattern. That is, the peak value of σ_xx as a function of the gate voltage V_R dependend only on the Landau index. The σ_xx as a function of the magnetic field H at a constant V_R showed a similar Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) type oscillation to that of three dimensional one. The SdH oscillation gave an “apparent” g-value g* which ranges from 2 to 5 depending on the surface carrier density n_s, due to the change in the ratios of the widths of the Landau levels to the level separation. The “reasonable” g-value of the conduction electrons in the inversion layer has been determined using a modified tilted magnetic field method. The g-value at the fixed magnetic field was independent of surface carrier density n_s and tended to 2 in the extreme strong magnetic field.Discussion is made of the g-value relating to the Landau level width and the energy gaps in the density of states under strong magnetic field.