Investigation of negative differential resistance phenomena inGaSb/AlSb/InAs/GaSb/AlSb/InAs structures

The negative differential resistance (NDR) phenomena were observed in GaSb/AlSb/InAs/-GaSb/AlSb/InAs resonant interband tunnel structures. Electrons have resonantly achieved interband tunneling through the InAs/GaSb broken-gap quantum well. The InAs well width causes significant variations of the peak current density and NDR behaviors. The peak current density varies exponentially with the AlSb barrier thickness. The multiple NDR behavior was observed with appropriate InAs well and AlSb barrier thicknesses, e.g., 30 Å thick AlSb barrier and 240 Å wide InAs well. Only single negative resistance has, otherwise, been seen. The three-band model was used to interpret the effect of the InAs well and AlSb barrier on the current-voltage characteristics of GaSb/AlSb/InAs/GaSb/AlSb/InAs structures     

Population inversion in two-dimensional InAs/GaSb/AlSb systems

We analyse the potentiality of InAs/GaSb/AlSb tunnel structures for creation of the population inversion and stimulated radiation both in the presence and in the absence of magnetic field.     

Effects of inelastic scattering on interband tunneling inGaSb/AlSb/InAs/GaSb/AlSb/lnAs broken-gap interband tunneling structures

Effects of inelastic scattering on interband tunneling in GaSb/AlSb/InAs/GaSb/AlSb/InAs BGIT's are investigated. The broadening mechanisms due to inelastic scattering are incorporated into the interband tunneling theory. The transmission and reflection coefficients are calculated with the aid of a three-band model, in which the conduction, light-hole, and split-off bands are coupled with one another. It is found that the inelastic scattering lowers the transmission peak and broadens the full-width at half-maximum, resulting in the decrease of the tunneling current. The calculated tunneling current due to inelastic scattering is found to have better agreement with the experiments. In addition, as the valley current plays an important role in the peak-to-valley current ratio (PVR), we then try to deduce the origin of the valley currents. The thermionic current is included in the valley current to estimate the peak-to-valley current ratio. The thermionic component from the GaSb well has important contribution to the valley current in the studied structures. The peak-to-valley current ratio is also estimated and found to have better agreement with the experiment when the inelastic scattering is considered     

Unusual persistent photoconductivity in the InAs/AlSb quantum well

Unusual features of persistent photoconductivity are reported for the InAs/AlSb quantum-well (QW) structure with a backgate. A negative persistent photoconductivity made it possible to decrease the electron concentration by an order of magnitude from 6 × 10¹¹ cm^?2. This is the largest variation in the electron concentration for this effect. In addition to a pronounced negative persistent photoconductivity, the relaxation of the structural resistance was bistable under exposure of the structure to visible light. These phenomena are attributed to the effect of a thin Ge film deposited on the structure surface prior to photolithography. This film forms a region in the GaSb layer in which the holes are accumulated from the sequence of the Ge/GaSb/AlSb layers located above the QW. IR radiation initiates beats of Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in the region of weak magnetic fields. These beats are believed to be caused by spin splitting in a zero magnetic field due to the asymmetry of a potential profile of the QW. This asymmetry is induced by prolonged illumination of the structure.     

Microwave performance and modeling of InAs/AlSb/GaSb resonantinterband tunneling diodes

The microwave frequency performance of InAs/ AlSb/GaSb resonant interband tunneling diodes has been examined experimentally. A bias-dependent small-signal circuit model that matches the measured data well for the full range of measured frequencies (dc to 35 GHz) and the full range of device biases (0 to 0.5 V) has been obtained. To the author's knowledge, this is the first report of a microwave-frequency circuit model that is valid over the full range of device operating biases, including the negative differential resistance region. The bias dependence of the circuit elements contained within the model is examined, and is consistent with device operational principles     

A complementary heterostructure field effect transistor technologybased on InAs/AlSb/GaSb

A complementary heterojunction field effect transistor technology based on the InAs/AlSb/GaSb system is proposed. The structure is formed by the vertical integration of InAs n-channel and GaSb p-channel HFET devices. The superior transport properties of electrons in InAs and holes in GaSb and their band offsets to AlSb or AlSbAs yield devices with transconductances much greater than AlGaAs/GaAs n- and p-channel HFETs. It is shown that a complementary circuit fabricated from these devices could provide room-temperature performance up to six times greater than that predicted for AlGaAs/GaAs complementary circuits     

Unintentional As incorporation in molecular beam epitaxially grown InAs/AlSb/GaSb heterostructures

We investigate unintentional arsenic incorporation during the molecular-beam epitaxial growth of AlSb/InAs/GaSb heterostructures, using both a standard As₄ evaporation cell and a valved arsenic cracker. When a standard As₄ cell is used, unintentional arsenic concentrations as large as 10–20% can be incorporated into the AlSb and GaSb layers from the background As ambient in the growth chamber, both during growth and on stationary surfaces. This incorporation can be controlled and suppressed with the use of a valved As cracker. Suppression of the As background substantially improves the electrical transport properties of AlSb/InAs/AlSb quantum well structures.     

High-transconductance delta-doped InAs/AlSb HFETs with ultrathinsilicon-doped InAs quantum well donor layer

Modulation-doping of InAs/AlSb quantum wells generally requires the use of chalcogenide donor impurities because silicon, the usual donor of choice in MBE, displays an amphoteric behavior in antimonide compounds. In this letter, we demonstrate the use of an ultrathin 9 Å silicon doped InAs well to delta-dope the current-carrying InAs channel of an InAs/AlSb heterostructure field-effect transistor (HFET). Using this new approach, we have fabricated delta-doped 0.6-μm gate InAs/AlSb HFETs with a measured extrinsic transconductance of 800 mS/mm at V_DS=0.8 V, a cutoff frequency f_T=60 GHz (F_MAX=87 GHz), and well-behaved I-V curves. HFET's with a 2-μm gatelength also feature very high transconductances in the 700-800 mS/mm range at V_DS=1.5 V. The present work eliminates the requirement for chalcogenide compound donor sources to delta-dope InAs/AlSb quantum wells by allowing the use of silicon in the fabrication of high-performance InAs/AlSb HFET's     

Digital integrated circuit using integrated InAlAs/InGaAs/InP HEMTsand InAs/AlSb/GaSb RITDs

The demonstration of the first integrated circuit using monolithically integrated InAs/AlSb/GaSb resonant interband tunnelling diodes (RITDs) and InAlAs/InGaAs/InP high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) is reported. A D-flip-flop (D-FF) was implemented using the monostable/bistable logic element (MOBILE) circuit architecture, with a measured effective voltage gain in excess of 380. Power dissipation of less than 2.8 mW/gate was measured     

Static random access memories based on resonant interband tunnelingdiodes in the InAs/GaSb/AlSb material system

We have fabricated SRAM's based on resonant interband tunneling diodes in the InAs/AlSb/GaSb material system. The bistability and the switching principles are demonstrated. Numerical simulations of the memory characteristics of the SRAM cell are performed and used for comparing with experiments. Several key issues involving the applications of the device are also discussed     

InAs/AlSb double-barrier structure with large peak-to-valleycurrent ratio: a candidate for high-frequency microwave devices

Negative differential resistance (NDR) in InAs/AlSb/InAs/AlSb/InAs double-barrier structures with peak-to-valley current (PVC) ratios as large as 11 at room temperature and 28 at 77 K is reported. This is a large improvement over previous results for these materials and is also considerably better than those obtained for the extensively studied GaAs/AlGaAs material system. The peak current density was also improved by reducing the barrier thickness, and values exceeding 10⁵ A/cm² have been observed. These results suggest that InAs/AlSb structures are interesting alternatives to conventional GaAs/AlGaAs structures in high-frequency devices. NDR in a InAs/AlSb superlattice double-barrier structure with a lower PVC ratio than in the solid barrier case has also been observed. This result indicates that valley current contributions arising from X-point tunneling are negligible in these structures, consistent with the large band offset     

InAs/AlSb dual-gate HFETs

We report the first implementation of InAs/AlSb dual-gate (DG) HFETs. The devices were fabricated by conventional optical lithography and consist of two electrically distinct 1-μm gates, with a 1-μm intergate separation. The DG-HFETs feature well-behaved, kink-free drain characteristics, and exhibit both high transconductance and low output conductance. We find that DG operation significantly reduces the short-channel effects that have so far plagued InAs/AlSb devices, and increases the maximum allowable drain bias. We estimate that cutoff frequencies as high as 30 GHz-μm may be possible for such devices based on simple equivalent circuit models and previously published experimental data on single-gate InAs/AlSb HFETs     

InAs/AlSb/GaSb resonant interband tunneling diodes andAu-on-InAs/AlSb-superlattice Schottky diodes for logic circuits

Integrated resonant interband tunneling (RIT) and Schottky diode structures, based on the InAs/GaSb/AlSb heterostructure system, are demonstrated for the first time. The RIT diodes are advantageous for logic circuits due to the relatively low bias voltages (~100 mV) required to attain peak current densities in the mid-10⁴ A/cm ² range. The use of n-type InAs/AlSb superlattices for the semiconducting side of Schottky barrier devices provides a means for tailoring the barrier height for a given circuit architecture. The monolithically integrated RIT/Schottky structure is suitable for fabrication of a complete diode logic family (AND, OR, XOR, INV)     

Vertical transport in type-II heterojunctions with InAs/GaSb/AlSb composite quantum wells in a high magnetic field

Vertical transport in type-II heterojunctions with a two-barrier AlSb/InAs/GaSb/AlSb quantum well (QW) grown by MOVPE on an n-InAs (100) substrate is investigated in quantizing magnetic fields up to B = 14 T at low temperatures T = 1.5 and 4.2 K. The width of the QWs is selected from the formation condition of the inverted band structure. Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations are measured at two orientations of the magnetic field (perpendicular and parallel) relative to the structure plane. It is established that conduction in the structure under study is occurs via both three-dimensional (3D) substrate electrons and two-dimensional 2D QW electrons under quantum limit conditions for bulk electrons (B > 5 T). The electron concentrations in the substrate and InAs QW are determined. The g-factor for 3D carriers is determined by spin splitting of the zero Landau level. It is shown that the conductance maxima in a magnetic field perpendicular to the structure plane and parallel to the current across the structure in fields B > 9 T correspond to the resonant tunneling of 3D electrons from the emitter substrate into the InAs QW through the 2D electron states of the Landau levels.     

Effects of layer design on the performance of InAs/AlSb/GaSb resonant interband tunneling diodes on GaAs substrates

The room temperature current-voltage characteristics of InAs/AlSb/GaSb resonant interband tunneling diodes (RITDs), grown by chemical beam epitaxy on GaAs substrates, are reported as a function of the InAs buffer layer thickness and different interface configurations. The peak-to-valley current ratio (PVCR) improved from 1 to 12 as the buffer thickness was increased from 0 to 500 nm and the density of dislocations caused by the lattice mismatch of ∼7% decreased. No significant improvement was seen for a buffer thickness beyond 500 nm. Dislocation-free RITDs, grown lattice-matched on InAs substrates, show PVCRs of approximately 16. The InAs/AlSb Interfaces in these structures can be either InSb-like or AlAs-like and the interface can have a very strong effect on the diode performance. Unlike the case in InAs/AlSb field effect transistor structures, an AlAs-like interface results in better PVCRs in the diodes. Details of the results of this study are presented.     

Modeling InAs/GaSb and InAs/InAsSb Superlattice Infrared Detectors

InAs/GaSb and InAs/InAsSb type II superlattices have been proposed as promising alternatives to HgCdTe for the photon-absorbing layer of an infrared detector. When combined with a barrier layer based on an InAs/AlSb superlattice or an AlSbAs alloy, respectively, they can be used to make diffusion-limited “barrier” detectors with very low dark currents. In this work we compare theoretical simulations with experimental bandgap and photoabsorption data for such superlattices, spanning from the mid to the long-wave infra-red (2.3–12 μm). The spectral response of detectors based on these materials is also simulated. The simulations are based on a version of the k · p model developed by one of the authors, which takes interface contributions and bandgap bowing into account. Our results provide a way of assessing the relative merits of InAs/GaSb and InAs/InAsSb superlattices as potential detector materials.     

Exchange-induced band hybridization in InAs/GaSb based type II and broken-gap quantum well systems

We demonstrate theoretically that the many-body effect such as exchange interaction can cause the hybridization of the electron and hole dispersion relations in InAs/GaSb based type II and broken-gap quantum well (QW) systems. As a result, a terahertz mini-gap at the anti-crossing points of the conduction and valence bands can be induced by the inter-layer electron–hole coupling via the Coulomb interaction. It is shown that the many-body effect is another important source of the hybridization of the dispersion relations in InAs/GaSb QW systems.     

The resonant tunneling of holes through double-barrier structures with InAs QDs at the center of a GaAs quantum well

The effect of InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown in the center of a GaAs quantum well on the tunneling characteristics of resonant-tunneling diodes based on p-AlAs/GaAs/AlAs heterostructures is studied. The introduction of QDs results in a shift and broadening of resonance peaks in the current-voltage characteristics of the diodes; however, this effect is found to be strongly dependent on the number of the 2D subband involved in the tunneling. The obtained dependence is attributed to origination of the fluctuation potential in the vicinity of the QD layer.     

Gate-Recess Technology for InAs/AlSb HEMTs

The gate-recess technology for Si $delta$-doped InAs/AlSb high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) has been investigated by combining atomic force microscopy (AFM) inspection of the gate-recess versus time with electrical device characterization. Deposition of the gate metal on the $hbox{In}_{0.5}hbox{Al}_{0.5}hbox{As}$ protection layer or on the underlying AlSb Schottky layer resulted in devices suffering from high gate-leakage current. Superior dc and high frequency device performance were obtained for HEMTs with an insulating layer between the gate and the Schottky layer resulting in a reduction of the gate leakage current $I_{G}$ by more than two orders of magnitude at a drain-to-source voltage $V_{DS}$ of 0.1 V. The existence of this intermediate insulating layer was evident from the electrical measurements. AFM measurements suggested that the insulating layer was due to a native oxidation of the AlSb Schottky layer. The insulated-gate HEMT with a gate length of 225 nm exhibited a maximum drain current $I_{D}$ higher than 500 mA/mm with good pinchoff characteristics, a dc transconductance $g_{m}$ of 1300 mS/mm, and extrinsic values for cutoff frequency $f_{T}$ and maximum frequency of oscillation $f_{max}$ of 160 and 120 GHz, respectively.      

n-Channel AlSb/GaSb modulation-doped field-effect transistors

We report the first fabrication of a GaSb n-channel modulation-doped field-effect transistor (MODFET) grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The modulation-doped structure exhibits a room temperature Hall mobility of 3140 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ and 77 K value of 16000 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, with corresponding sheet carrier densities of 1.3 × 10¹² cm⁻² and 1.2 × 10¹² cm⁻². Devices with 1 μm gate length yield transconductances of 180 mS mm⁻¹ and output of 5 mS mm⁻¹ at 85 K. The device characteristics indicate that electron transport in the channel occurs primarily via the L-valley of GaSb above 85 K. The effective electron saturation velocity is estimated to be 0.9 × 10⁷ cm s⁻¹. Calculations show that a complementary circuit consisting of GaSb n- and p-channel MODFETs can provide at least two times improvement in performance over AlGaAs/GaAs complementary circuits.