Izaro Laresgoiti

Low dimensional systems

 Quantum

tunneling
Resonant tunneling
RTD
Structure
How does it work?
Materials
Applications
Conclusions

TC e

2 k 2 L

decay:
Polonium -212 (alpha particle
8,78MeV)

0.287eV

0.0807eV

0.287eV

0.0807eV

TLTR

T=

(1 RL RR ) 2 + 4 RR RL sin 2

= 2 n

1
= 2ka + +
L
R
2

TL=TR=0.8

The condition for resonant

states!

Assuming that TL and TR are small:

T = TPK

TL=TR=0.2

TLTR
4TLTR
=

2
(1 RR RL ) 2 (TL + TR )

Near the resonance (TL and TR<<1)

T
Tpk

Er

EE
pk
T ( E ) = Tpk 1 +
1
2

1
0.8

Breit-Wigner

0.6

0.4

Scape
rate

0.2

I
II
III
IV
V

Regions (12-25nm)
I-V: Emitter/collector(heavily doped(~108cm-3)
small bandgap, GaAs)
II-IV: Q barrier(~0.23eV):larger bangap
(AlGaAs).
III : QW: smaller bandgap

jp
NDR

jv

Important performance parameter:

1.Peak current density (Jp)
2.Valley current density (Jv)
3.Peak to valley ratio (PVR): Jp/Jv

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

E1: Resonant energy

E2: phonon
absorption
E3: phonon emission
E4:Thermoionic
emission
Non resonant
tunneling

Valley
current

To obtain the better

performance
1.
Maximize Ip
high frequency (>104
A/cm 2)
2.
Minimize Iv
reduce lekege current
and hence the power
consumtion.
3.
Maximize PVR
allow an
appropriate memory
with a reasonable
noise margin
4.
Minimize RCt

NDR

Real current curve

To increase Ip: (increases

f)
1.
Decrease the
thickness of the
barrier
2.
Increase the doping in
the emitters

However:
Increases also
the IV
Decreases the
PVR
Trade off between high
speed and power
consumption!!

Small device (12-25nm/conventional device

~100nm)

Extremely high switching speed (e.g., 1 ps

switch, fmax~1 THz/215GHz conventional)

Low power consumption

Work at room temperature

Flexible design

NDR characteristics(Intrinsic bistability ,

incfrease functionality)

 Type

Good PVR and current densityIp~500kA/cm2

PVR ~52
Good for high frequency switching applications
CMOS incompatible and high cost

Si

III-V (Eg. GaAs, InP)

based

CMOS compatible
RTDNot good properties (NDR at low temp,
PVR ~1.2-2.4)
RITD

 RITD

type III-V
RITD based in Si

Compatible with
CMOS
NDR at room T
PVR~4
Ip~2kA/cm2

 Microwave

oscillators

NDR compensate the R

Ideal
oscillator

Real
oscillator

RTD avoid the

amplitude decay

 Novel

digital logic circuits.(PVR=10 enough)

Static memory (computer)

|
|

RTD more stable (NDR), bistability.

Reduced the number of devices

The simplest configuration

 Due

to the continuous development of

computer industry is inevitable the use of
quantum based devices because they
provide:

Low footprint and high device density.

High switching speed(high computation capacity)
Low power consumption

Due

to their high switching velocity and the

NDR RTDs are very useful for very high
frequency oscillator circuits.

Books:

The Physics and Applications of Resonant Tunnelling Diodes. by Hiroshi Mizuta, Tomonori Tanoue. (Cambridge
Studies in Semiconductor Physics and Microelectronic Engineering).

Nanoelectronics and Information Technology: Advanced Electronic Materials and Novel Devices by Rainer Waser

The Physics of Low-dimensional Semiconductors: An Introduction by John H. Davies

Papers and talks:

L.L. Chang, L. Esaki, and R. Tsu. Resonant tunneling in semiconductor double barriers, Appl. Phys. Lett. 24,
593 (1974).

S.L. Rommel, T.E. Dillon, M.W. Dashiell, H. Feng, J. Kolodzey, P.R. Berger, P.E. Thompson, K.D. Hobart, R. Lake,
A.C. Seabaugh, G. Klimeck, and D.K. Blanks, Room Temperature Operation of Epitaxially Grown Si/Si0.5Ge0.5/Si
Resonant Interband Tunneling Diodes , Appl. Phy. Lett, 73, 2191 (1998).

Resonant Tunneling Diodes: Theory of Operation and Applications. Johnny Ling, University of Rochester,
Rochester , NY 14627

Brief overview of nanoelectronic devices, James C. Ellenbogen. Government Microelectronics Applications

Conference (GOMAC98).

Resonant Tunneling Transistor Characteristics Using a Fabry-Pariot Resonator. Chomsik Lee. Journ. Korean
Physic. Soc, vol 31

Long journey into tunneling. Leo Esaki. Nobel Lecture, December 12, 1973

Confined Electrons and Photons. New Physics and Application. Elias Burstein and Claude weisbuch

Extending CMOS: Quantum functional Circuits Using Si-Based Resonant Interband Tunneling Diodes. Paul R.
Berger. March 11, 2005

Resonant Tunneling Diodes. Ni, Man. Advanced Electronic Devices. April 26. 2005

Quantum Wells, Wires, Dots; Quantum Coherent Devices, Stephen Goodnick. IEEE Nanotechnology Conference in
2003

nanoHUB: online simulations and more: https://www.nanohub.org/tools/rtd/ (Simulate 1D resonant tunneling

devices and other heterostructures via ballistic quantum transport)