Superlattices quantum tunneling

A new chapter in the uses of semiconductors arrived with a theoretical paper by two physicists working at IBM s research laboratory in New York State, L. Esaki (a Japanese immigrant who has since returned to Japan) and R. Tsu (Esaki and Tsu 1970). They predicted that in a fine multilayer structure of two distinct semiconductors (or of a semiconductor and an insulator) tunnelling between quantum wells becomes important and a superlattice with minibands and mini (energy) gaps is formed. Three years later, Esaki and Tsu proved their concept experimentally. Another name used for such a superlattice is confined heterostructure . This concept was to prove so fruitful in the emerging field of optoelectronics (the merging of optics with electronics) that a Nobel Prize followed in due course. The central application of these superlattices eventually turned out to be a tunable laser. 

The proposed technique seems to be rather promising for the formation of electronic devices of extremely small sizes. In fact, its resolution is about 0.5-0.8 nm, which is comparable to that of molecular beam epitaxy. However, molecular beam epitaxy is a complicated and expensive technique. All the processes are carried out at 10 vacuum and repair extrapure materials. In the proposed technique, the layers are synthesized at normal conditions and, therefore, it is much less expansive. The presented results had demonstrated the possibility of the formation of superlattices with this technique. The next step will be the fabrication of devices based on these superlattices. To begin with, two types of devices wiU be focused on. The first will be a resonant tunneling diode. In this case the quantum weU will be surrounded by two quantum barriers. In the case of symmetrical structure, the resonant... 

The quantum cascade laser is very different from the conventional semiconductor laser that has been described in this article, and is based on the intersubband transitions between the excited states of coupled quantum wells, or superlattice structures, and on the resonant tunneling between the wells as the pumping mechanism. This means that lasing action takes place between energy levels within the conduction band (not between the conduction and valance bands). More importantly, since the electron is still in the conduction band, novel bandgap engineering can provide for a transport mechanism that allows for this electron to be reinjected into another set of coupled quantum wells, and is therefore reused. As a result, one injected... 

Fig. 5.3-11 Left differential conductance as a function of the applied voltage for a 49-period superlattice at 20 K. Right schematic model to explain the 48 negative peaks in the differential conductance, (a) Zero bias (b) ground-state resonanttunneling conduction (c) first field localization, where resonant tunneling between the ground state and an adjacent excited state takes place (d) expansion of the high-field region by one additional quantum well. (After [3.62])...

R 405 S. Komiyama, Playing with Quantum Hall Effects and Single-Electron-Tunneling Effects , Superlattice Microst., 2003, 33, 405... 

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