Engineering Commons^™

On Landauer Versus Boltzmann And Full Band Versus Effective Mass Evaluation Of Thermoelectric Transport Coefficients, Changwook Jeong, Raseong Kim, Mathieu Luisier, Supriyo Datta

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Using a full band description of electronic bandstructure, the Landauer approach to diffusive transport is mathematically related to the solution of the Boltzmann transport equation, and expressions for the thermoelectric parameters in both formalisms are presented. Quantum mechanical and semiclassical techniques to obtain from a full description of the bandstructure, E(k)E(k), the density of modes in the Landauer approach or the transport distribution in the Boltzmann solution are compared and thermoelectric transport coefficients are evaluated. Several example calculations for representative bulk materials are presented and the full band results are related to the more common effective mass formalism. Finally, given …

Simulation Of Spin Field Effect Transistors: Effects Of Tunneling And Spin Relaxation On Performance, Yunfei Gao, Tony Low, Mark S. Lundstrom, Dmitri E. Nikonov

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

numerical simulation of spin-dependent quantum transport for a spin field effect transistor is implemented in a widely used simulator, nanoMOS. This method includes the effect of both spin scattering in the channel and the tunneling barrier between the source/drain and the channel. Accounting for these factors permits setting more realistic performance limits for the transistor, especially the magnetoresistance, which is found to be lower compared to earlier predictions. The interplay between tunneling and spin scattering is elucidated by numerical simulation. Insertion of the tunneling barrier leads to an increased magnetoresistance. Simulations are used to explore the tunneling barrier design issues.

Universality Of Non Ohmic Shunt Leakage In Thin Film Solar Cells, Sourabh Dongaonkar, J. D. Sevaites, G. M. Ford, S. Loser, J. Moore, R. M. Gelfand, H. Mohseni, H. W. Hillhouse, R. Agrawal, M. A. Ratner, T. J. Marks, Mark S. Lundstrom, Muhammad A. Alam

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3518509

Abstract can be found at the above link

Influence Of Dimensionality On Thermoelectric Device Performance, Raseong Kim, Supriyo Datta, Mark S. Lundstrom

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The role of dimensionality on the electronic performance of thermoelectric devices is clarified using the Landauer formalism, which shows that the thermoelectric coefficients are related to the transmission, T(E)T(E), and how the conducting channels, M(E)M(E), are distributed in energy. The Landauer formalism applies from the ballistic to diffusive limits and provides a clear way to compare performance in different dimensions. It also provides a physical interpretation of the “transport distribution,” a quantity that arises in the Boltzmann transport equation approach. Quantitative comparison of thermoelectric coefficients in one, two, and three dimensions shows that the channels are utilized more effectively in …

Modeling Of Spin Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor: A Nonequilibrium Green’S Function Approach With Spin Relaxation, Tony Low, Mark S. Lundstrom, Dmitri E. Nikonov

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A spin metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor spin MOFSET, which combines a Schottky-barrier MOFSET with ferromagnetic source and drain contacts, is a promising device for spintronic logic. Previous simulation studies predict that this device should display a very high magnetoresistance MR ratio between the cases of parallel and anitparallel magnetizations for the case of half-metal ferromagnets HMF. We use the nonequilibrium Green’s function formalism to describe tunneling and carrier transport in this device and to incorporate spin relaxation at the HMF-semiconductor interfaces. Spin relaxation at interfaces results in nonideal spin injection. Minority spin currents arise and dominate the leakage current for antparallel …

Influence Of Phonon Scattering On The Performance Of P-I-Np-I-N Band-To-Band Tunneling Transistors, Siyuranga O. Koswatta, Mark S. Lundstrom, Dmitri E. Nikonov

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Power dissipation has become a major obstacle in performance scaling of modern integrated circuits and has spurred the search for devices operating at lower voltage swing. In this letter, we study p-i-n band-to-band tunneling field effect transistors taking semiconducting carbon nanotubes as the channel material. The on current of these devices is mainly limited by the tunneling barrier properties, and phonon-scattering has only a moderate effect.We show, however, that the off current is limited by phonon absorption assisted tunneling, and thus is strongly temperature dependent. Subthreshold swings below the 60 mV/decade conventional limit can be readily achieved even at room …

Inversion Capacitance-Voltage Studies On Gaas Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Structure Using Transparent Conducting Oxide As Metal Gate, T. Yang, Y. Liu, P. D. Ye, Y. Xuan, H. Pal, Mark S. Lundstrom

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A systematic capacitance-voltage C-V study has been performed on GaAs metaloxide- semiconductor MOS structures with atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3 as gate dielectrics and indium tin oxide ITO as the metal gate. The transparent conducting ITO gate allows homogeneous photoillumination on the whole MOS capacitance area, such that one can easily observe the low-frequency LF C-V and quasistatic C-V of GaAs at room temperature. The semiconductor capacitance effect on GaAs MOS devices has also been identified and insightfully discussed based on the obtained LF C-V curves. The semiconductor capacitance effect becomes more important for devices with high-mobility channel materials and aggressively scaled high-k …

Ballistic Graphene Nanoribbon Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors: A Full Real-Space Quantum Transport Simulation, Gengchiau Liang, Neophytos Neophytou, Mark S. Lundstrom, Dmitri Nikonov

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A real-space quantum transport simulator for graphenenanoribbon (GNR) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) has been developed and used to examine the ballistic performance of GNR MOSFETs. This study focuses on the impact of quantum effects on these devices and on the effect of different type of contacts. We found that two-dimensional (2D) semi-infinite graphene contacts produce metal-induced-gap states (MIGS) in the GNR channel. These states enhance quantum tunneling, particularly in short channel devices, they cause Fermi level pinning and degrade the device performance in both the ON-state and OFF-state. Devices with infinitely long contacts having the same width as the channel …

Ballisticity Of Nanotube Field-Effect Transistors: Role Of Phonon Energy And Gate Bias, Siyuranga O. Koswatta, Sayed Hasan, Mark S. Lundstrom

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We investigate the role of electron-phonon scattering and gate bias in degrading the drive current of nanotube field-effect transistors FETs. Optical phonon scattering significantly decreases the drive current only when gate voltage is higher than a well-defined threshold. For comparable electron-phonon coupling, a lower phonon energy leads to a larger degradation of drive current. Thus in semiconductor nanowire FETs, the drive current will be more sensitive than in carbon nanotube FETs because of the smaller phonon energies in semiconductors. Acoustic phonons and other elastic scattering mechanisms are most detrimental to nanotube FETs irrespective of biasing conditions.

On The Role Of Phonon Scattering In Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistors, Jing Guo, Mark S. Lundstrom

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The role of phonon scattering in carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNTFETs) is explored by solving the Boltzmann transport equation using the Monte Carlo method. The results show that elastic scattering in a short-channel CNTFET has a small effect on the source-drain current due to the long elastic mean-free path (mfp) (~1μm)(~1μm). If elastic scattering with a short mfp were to exist in a CNTFET, the on current would be severely degraded due to the one-dimensional channel geometry. At high drain bias, optical phonon scattering, which has a much shorter mfp (~10nm)(~10nm), is expected to dominate, even in a short-channel CNTFET. …

Simulation Of Phonon-Assisted Band-To-Band Tunneling In Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistors, Siyuranga O. Koswatta, Mark S. Lundstrom, M. P. Anantram, Dmitri E. Nikonov

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Electronic transport in a carbon nanotube metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor MOSFET is simulated using the nonequilibrium Green’s functions method with the account of electron-phonon scattering. For MOSFETs, ambipolar conduction is explained via phonon-assisted band-to-band Landau-Zener tunneling. In comparison to the ballistic case, we show that the phonon scattering shifts the onset of ambipolar conduction to more positive gate voltage thereby increasing the off current. It is found that the subthreshold swing in ambipolar conduction can be made as steep as 40 mV/decade despite the effect of phonon scattering

A Theoretical Investigation Of Surface Roughness Scattering In Silicon Nanowire Transistors, Jing Wang, Eric Polizzi, Avik Ghosh, Supriyo Datta, Mark S. Lundstrom

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The role of phonon scattering in carbon nanotube field-effect transistors sCNTFETsd is explored by solving the Boltzmann transport equation using the Monte Carlo method. The results show that elastic scattering in a short-channel CNTFET has a small effect on the source-drain current due to the long elastic mean-free path smfpd s,1 mmd. If elastic scattering with a short mfp were to exist in a CNTFET, the on current would be severely degraded due to the one-dimensional channel geometry. At high drain bias, optical phonon scattering, which has a much shorter mfp s,10 nmd, is expected to dominate, even in a …

High-Field Quasi-Ballistic Transport In Short Carbon Nanotubes, Ali Javey, Jing Guo, Magnus Paulsson, Qian Wang, Mark S. Lundstrom, Hongjie Dai, David Mann

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Single walled carbon nanotubes with Pd Ohmic contacts and lengths ranging from several microns down to 10 nm are investigated by electron transport experiments and theory. The mean-free path (MFP) for acoustic phonon scattering is estimated to be lap ~300  nm, and that for optical phonon scattering is lop ~15  nm. Transport through very short (~10  nm) nanotubes is free of significant acoustic and optical phonon scattering and thus ballistic and quasiballistic at the low- and high-bias voltage limits, respectively. High currents of up to 70   μA can flow through a short nanotube. Possible mechanisms for the eventual electrical breakdown …

A Three-Dimensional Quantum Simulation Of Silicon Nanowire Transistors With The Effective Mass Approximation, Jing Wang, Eric Polizzi, Mark S. Lundstrom

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The silicon nanowire transistor (SNWT) is a promising device structure for future integrated circuits, and simulations will be important for understanding its device physics and assessing its ultimate performance limits. In this work, we present a three-dimensional (3D) quantum mechanical simulation approach to treat various SNWTs within the effective-mass approximation. We begin by assuming ballistic transport, which gives the upper performance limit of the devices. The use of a mode space approach (either coupled or uncoupled) produces high computational efficiency that makes our 3D quantum simulator practical for extensive device simulation and design. Scattering in SNWTs is then treated by …

A Simple Quantum Mechanical Treatment Of Scattering In Nanoscale Transistors, Rajesh Venugopal, Magnus Paulsson, Sebastien Goasguen, Supriyo Datta, Mark S. Lundstrom

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We present a computationally efficient, two-dimensional quantum mechanical simulation scheme for modeling dissipative electron transport in thin body, fully depleted, n-channel, silicon-on-insulator transistors. The simulation scheme, which solves the nonequilibrium Green’s function equations self consistently with Poisson’s equation, treats the effect of scattering using a simple approximation inspired by the “Büttiker probes,” often used in mesoscopic physics. It is based on an expansion of the active device Hamiltonian in decoupled mode space. Simulation results are used to highlight quantum effects, discuss the physics of scattering and to relate the quantum mechanical quantities used in our model to experimentally measured …

Quantum Mechanical Analysis Of Channel Access Geometry And Series Resistance In Nanoscale Transistors, R. Venugopal, S. Goasguen, Supriyo Datta, Mark S. Lundstrom

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We apply a two-dimensional quantum mechanical simulation scheme to study the effect of channel access geometries on device performance. This simulation scheme solves the nonequilibrium Green’s function equations self-consistently with Poisson’s equation and treats the effect of scattering using a simple approximation inspired by Büttiker. It is based on an expansion of the device Hamiltonian in coupled mode space. Simulation results are used to highlight quantum effects and discuss the importance of scattering when examining the transport properties of nanoscale transistors with differing channel access geometries. Additionally, an efficient domain decomposition scheme for evaluating the performance of nanoscale transistors is …

Metal–Insulator–Semiconductor Electrostatics Of Carbon Nanotubes, Jing Guo, Sebastien Goasguen, Mark S. Lundstrom, Supriyo Datta

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Carbon nanotube metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors are examined theoretically. For the densely packed array of nanotubes on a planar insulator, the capacitance per tube is reduced due to the screening of the charge on the gate plane by the neighboring nanotubes. In contrast to the silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors, the calculated C-VC-V curves reflect the local peaks of the one-dimensional density-of-states in the nanotube. This effect provides the possibility to use C-VC-V measurements to diagnose the electronic structures of nanotubes. Results of the electrostatic calculations can also be applied to estimate the upper-limit on-current of carbon nanotube field-effect transistors.

Performance Projections For Ballistic Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistors, Jing Guo, Mark S. Lundstrom, Supriyo Datta

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The performance limits of carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNTFETs) are examined theoretically by extending a one-dimensional treatment used for silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Compared to ballistic MOSFETs, ballistic CNTFETs show similar I-VI-V characteristics but the channel conductance is quantized. For low-voltage, digital applications, the CNTFET with a planar gate geometry provides an on-current that is comparable to that expected for a ballistic MOSFET. Significantly better performance, however, could be achieved with high gate capacitance structures. Because the computed performance limits greatly exceed the performance of recently reported CNTFETs, there is considerable opportunity for progress in device performance.

A Drift-Diffusion Equation For Ballistic Transport In Nanoscale Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors, Jung-Hoon Rhew, Mark S. Lundstrom

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The performance limits of carbon nanotube field-effect transistors ~CNTFETs! are examined theoretically by extending a one-dimensional treatment used for silicon metal–oxide– semiconductor field-effect transistors ~MOSFETs!. Compared to ballistic MOSFETs, ballistic CNTFETs show similar I –V characteristics but the channel conductance is quantized. For low-voltage, digital applications, the CNTFET with a planar gate geometry provides an on-current that is comparable to that expected for a ballistic MOSFET. Significantly better performance, however, could be achieved with high gate capacitance structures. Because the computed performance limits greatly exceed the performance of recently reported CNTFETs, there is considerable opportunity for progress in device performance.

Simulating Quantum Transport In Nanoscale Mosfets: Real Vs. Mode Space Approaches, Rajesh Venugopal, Z. Ren, Supriyo Datta, Mark S. Lundstrom, D. Jovanovic

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The performance limits of carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNTFETs) are examined theoretically by extending a one-dimensional treatment used for silicon metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Compared to ballistic MOSFETs, ballistic CNTFETs show similar I–VI–V characteristics but the channel conductance is quantized. For low-voltage, digital applications, the CNTFET with a planar gate geometry provides an on-current that is comparable to that expected for a ballistic MOSFET. Significantly better performance, however, could be achieved with high gate capacitance structures. Because the computed performance limits greatly exceed the performance of recently reported CNTFETs, there is considerable opportunity for progress in device performance.

Simulating Quasi-Ballistic Transport In Si Nanotransistors, Kausar Banoo, Jung-Hoon Rhew, Mark S. Lundstrom, Chi-Wang Shu, Joseph W. Jerome

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Electron transport in model Si nanotransistors is examined by numerical simulation using a hierarchy of simulation methods, from full Boltzmann, to hydrodynamic, energy transport, and drift-diffusion. The on-current of a MOSFET is shown to be limited by transport across a low-field region about one mean-free-path long and located at the beginning of the channel. Commonly used transport models based on simplified solutions of the Boltzmann equation are shown to fail under such conditions. The cause for this failure is related to the neglect of the carriers' drift energy and to the collision-dominated assumptions typically used in the development of simplified …

Formulation Of The Boltzmann Equation As A Multi-Mode Drift-Diffusion Equation, Kausar Banoo, Farzin Assad, Mark S. Lundstrom

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We present a multi-mode drift-diffusion equation as reformulation of the Boltzmann equation in the discrete momentum space. This is shown to be similar to the conventional drift-diffusion equation except that it is a more rigorous solution to the Boltzmann equation because the current and carrier densities are resolved into M x 1 vectors, where M is the number of modes in the discrete momentum space. The mobility and diffusion coefficient become M M matrices which connect the M momentum space modes. This approach is demonstrated by simulating electron transport in bulk silicon.

Reflection Anistropy Spectroscopy Study Of The Near Surface Electric Field In Low-Temperature Grown Gaas (001), Todd Holden, Fred H. Pollak, J. L. Freeouf, D. Mcinturff, J. L. Gray, Mark S. Lundstrom, J. M. Woodall

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We have evaluated an ‘‘effective depletion width’’ of =< 45 Å and the sign (n-type/upward band bending) of the near surface electric field in low-temperature grown GaAs ~001! using the optical method of reflection anisotropy spectroscopy in the vicinity of the spin-orbit split E₁ , E₁ + Delta₁ optical features. Our results provide evidence that surface Fermi level pinning occurs for air exposed (001) surfaces of undoped low temperature grown GaAs.

Electrical Characteristics Of Nearly Relaxed Inas/Gap Heterojunctions, E H. Chen, T. P. Chin, J. M. Woodall, Mark S. Lundstrom

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The electrical properties of lattice mismatched InAs/GaP heterojunctions are examined. In spite of a high dislocation density at the heterointerface, the current versus voltage characteristics show nearly ideal behavior with low reverse leakage currents and high breakdown voltages. The forward currentvaried exponentially with bias displaying ideal factors of 1.10 or less. Band offsets estimated from current–voltage and capacitance–voltage analysis are consistent with previous estimates based on differences in Schottky barrier heights.

Technique For Measurement Of The Minority Carrier Mobility With A Bipolar Junction Transistor, S. L. D'Souza, Michael R. Melloch, Mark S. Lundstrom, E. S. Harmon

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A simple technique to measure the minority carrier mobility using a bipolar junction transistor is demonstrated. By fixing the base-emitter voltage, the carrier injection into the base is constant. The collector current is then monitored as a function of a magnetic field applied perpendicular to the current transport across the base. The magnetic field leads to an increase in base transit time and a corresponding decrease in collector current. From the resulting fractional change in collector current, the minority carrier mobility in the base can be determined. For narrow base transistors, quasiballistic transport across the base must be taken into …

On The Carrier Mobility In Forward-Biased Semiconductor Barriers, Mark S. Lundstrom, Shin'ichi Tanaka

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A simple one-speed solution to the Boltzmann equation is used to evaluate the mobility and diffusion coefficient for carriers in forward-biased semiconductor barriers. The analysis shows that although the average kinetic energy of carriers remains near thermal equilibrium, the mobility and diffusion coefficient are strongly reduced by the built-in field. Conventional macroscopic transport equations, which treat the carrier mobility and diffusion coefficient as single valued functions of the kinetic energy will improperly treat transport in forward-biased barriers. The results are important for the careful analysis of metal–semiconductor and heterojunction diodes.

On The Carrier Mobility In Forward-Biased Semiconductor Barriers, Mark S. Lundstrom, S. I. Tanaka

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A simple one-speed solution to the Boltzmann equation is used to evaluate the mobility and diffusion coefficient for carriers in forward-biased semiconductor barriers. The analysis shows that although the average kinetic energy of carriers remains near thermal equilibrium, the mobility and diffusion coefficient are strongly reduced by the built-in field. Conventional macroscopic transport equations, which treat the carrier mobility and diffusion coefficient as single valued functions of the kinetic energy will improperly treat transport in forward-biased barriers. The results are important for the careful analysis of metal-semiconductor and heterojunction diodes.© 1995 American Institute of Physics.

Very Low Resistance Nonalloyed Ohmic Contacts Using Low-Temperature Molecular Beam Epitaxy Of Gaas, M. P. Patkar, T. P. Chin, J. M. Woodall, Mark S. Lundstrom, Michael R. Melloch

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Ex situ nonalloyed ohmic contacts were made to n- and p‐type GaAs using low‐temperature molecular beam epitaxy. For n‐type GaAs, Ag, and Ti/Au nonalloyed contacts displayed specific contact resistitivities of mid 10^-7 ohm cm². For p‐type GaAs, nonalloyed Ti/Au contacts with specific contact resistivities of about 10^-7 ohm cm² were obtained.

Transition Matrix Approach For Monte Carlo Simulation Of Coupled Electron/Phonon/Photon Dynamics, Muhammad A. Alam, Mark S. Lundstrom

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A new approach for simulating the dynamics of electrons, phonons, and photons is described. The technique provides a Monte Carlo simulation of particle dynamics without the statistical noise associated with direct Monte Carlo simulation, treats physical phenomena with a wide range of time scales, and has a good computational efficiency. A transition matrix is first precomputed by direct Monte Carlo simulation. Particle populations are then updated at regular time steps by simple matrix multiplication while correcting for nonlinear effects such as carrier–carrier scattering, band filling, hot phonons, etc. The technique is well suited to studies of quantum well laser devices …

Characterization Of Photon Recycling In Thin Crystalline Gaas Light Emitting Diodes, M. P. Patkar, M. S. Lundstrom, Michael R. Melloch

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Gallium arsenide light emitting diodes (LEDs) were fabricated using molecular beam epitaxial films on GaAs substrates and removed by epitaxial lift-off (ELO). Lifted off devices were then mounted on a Si wafer using a Pd/Au/Cr contact layer, which also served as a back surface reflector. Devices were characterized by electrical and optical measurements, and the results for devices on the GaAs substrate were compared to those for EL0 devices. EL0 LEDs coated with a ZnS/MgF2 antireflection coating exhibited an optical output that was up to six times that of LEDs on GaAs substrates. At the same time, the measured current-voltage …