We report the results of modeling lateral p‐n junctions and p‐n‐p quantum wire structures at corrugated GaAs/AlGaAs interfaces, using the surface orientation dependent amphoteric nature of Si doping. We determine the potential landscape and the electron and hole charge densities within a semiclassical Thomas–Fermi screening model, and then solve the two‐dimensional Schrödinger equation using finite elements for the quantized electron and hole states at the heterointerfaces. We demonstrate the formation of a one‐dimensional electron system confined between two lateral p‐n junctions, and discuss the advantages of this structure compared to conventional electrostatic confinement schemes for fabricating quantum wires.
REFERENCES
1.
2.
W. I.
Wang
, E. E.
Mendez
, T. S.
Kuan
, and L.
Esaki
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
47
, 826
(1985
).3.
4.
5.
J. Ebner, J. E. Lary, G. W. Eliason, and T. K. Plant, Proceedings of the 20th European Solid State Device Research Conference, ESSDERC 90, edited by W. Eccleston and P. J. Rossner (Adam Hilger, Bristol, 1990), pp. 401–404.
6.
H. K. Harbury, W. Porod, and S. M. Goodnick, presented at the 19th International Conference on the Physics and Chemistry of Semiconductor Interfaces, Death Valley, CA, January 1992.
7.
B. I.
Miller
, A.
Shahar
, U.
Koren
, and P. J.
Corvini
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
54
, 188
(1989
).8.
and
E.
Kapon
, S.
Simhony
, R.
Bhat
, and D. M.
Hwang
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
55
, 2715
(1989
).9.
E.
Colas
, S.
Simhony
, E.
Kapon
, R.
Bhat
, D. M.
Hwang
, and P. S. D.
Lin
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
57
, 914
(1990
).10.
11.
J. Ebner (private communication).
12.
The use of p-n junctions for lateral confinement of quantum wires was pioneered by
C. C.
Dean
and M.
Pepper
, J. Phys. C
15
, L1287
(1982
),and by
A. B.
Fowler
, A.
Hartstein
, and R. A.
Webb
, Phys. Rev. Lett.
48
, 196
(1982
).13.
Nanostructure Physics and Fabrication, M. A. Reed and W. P. Kirk, Eds. (Academic, San Diego, 1989).
14.
The details of the amphoteric nature of the silicon doping near the intersection of the (100) and (111) surfaces are not known, and likely to be more complicated than our model. This and possible compensation effects might tend to reduce the abruptness of the lateral p-n junction.
This content is only available via PDF.
© 1992 American Institute of Physics.
1992
American Institute of Physics
You do not currently have access to this content.