Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss

2B 1700/2B1823, Advanced Semiconductor

Materials
Lecture 8, Quantum Wells, Quantum Wires and
Quantum Dots
Need for low dimensional structures Need for low dimensional structures
Carrier confinement Carrier confinement
Ballistic transport Ballistic transport
Elastic scattering: Energy does not change between collisions Elastic scattering: Energy does not change between collisions
Inelastic scattering: Energy changes with collision Inelastic scattering: Energy changes with collision
Ballistic transport: At low enough dimensions (< average distanc Ballistic transport: At low enough dimensions (< average distance between two elastic scattering), e between two elastic scattering),
electrons travel in electrons travel in straght straght lines => Light beams in geometrical optics lines => Light beams in geometrical optics
Outline Outline
Quantum wells (Well with finite potential) Quantum wells (Well with finite potential)
Quantum wires Quantum wires
Quantum dots Quantum dots
=> High performance transistors and lasers
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss
Consider first the particle trapped in
an infinitely deep one- dimensional
potential well with a specific dimension
Observations
Energy is quantized, Even the lowest
energy level has a positive value and
not zero
The probability of finding the particle
is restricted to the respective energy
levels only and not in-between
Classical E-p curve is continuous. In
quantum mechanics, p = hk with k =
n/l where n = 1, 2, 3 etc.
E
n
= h
2
k
2
/2m
= n
2

2
h
2
/2ml
2
In fact the negative values are not
counted since the probability of finding
the electrons in n=1 and n=-1 is the
same and also E is the same at these
values
When l is large, energies at E
n
and
E
n+1
move closer to each other =>
classical systems, energy is continuous.
PARTICLE IN AN
INFINITE WELL
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss
One dimensional
finite well
Region II:
A cos kx (symmetric solutions) (1)

II
=
A sin kx (antisymmetric solutions) (2)
where k
2
= 2mE/h
2
(3)
Region III:

III
= Be
-x
where
2
= 2m(V
0
-E)/h
2
(4) and (5)
Region I:

I
= Be
x
(eq. 6) but by symmetry we use only the
single boundary condition at x = l/2 between II and III
At x = l/2:
II
=
III
and

II
=

III
(7)
For the symmetric solutions, i.e., for (1),
A cos (kl/2) = Be
- l/2
(8)
Ak sin (kl/2) = Be
- l/2
(9)
(9)/(8): k tan kl/2 = (10)
For antisymmetric solutions, i.e., for (2),
k tan (kl/2 - /2) = (11)
(In (11), cot x = - tan (x- /2) has been used to show the
similarity between symmetric and antisymmeteric
characteristic equations
(10) and (11) have electron energy
E on both sides via k and => only
discrete E values satisfy boundary
conditions (7)
PARTICLE IN A FINITE WELL
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss
PARTICLE IN A FINITE WELL
Observations
The wave functions are not
zero at the boundaries as in
the infinite potential well
Allowed particle energies
depend on the well depth
Finite well energy levels <
corresponding infinite well
energy levels
The deeper the finite well,
the better the infinite well
approximation for the low-
lying energy values
Quantum mechanical
tunnelling possible
Quantum mechanical
reflection possible at E>V
0
Energy levels and wave functions
in a one dimensional finite well.
Three bound solutions are
illustrated
a) Shallow well with single allowed
level kl = /4
b) Increase of allowed levels as kl
exceeds (kl = 3 + /4)
c) Comparison of the finite-well (solid
line) and infinite well (dashed line)
energies (kl = 8 + /4);
Infinite well
Finite well
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss
For infinite well case, E
n
= n
2
E
1

(12)
where E
1

= h
2
k
1
2
/2m (13)
=
2
h
2
/2ml
2
(14)
Can we arrive at a similar relation for the
finite well case? YES
How?
Solve (10) and (11) using (12) with (3) & (5):
ENERGY LEVELS IN A FINITE WELL IN TERMS OF
THE FIRST LEVEL OF INFINITE WELL
Plot of quantum numbers as a function of the maximum allowed
quantum number which is determined by the potential height V
0
Quantum number in the quantum well:
n
QW
= (E
n
/E
1

(15)
Maximum number of bound states:
n
max
= (V
0
/ E
1

(16)
Example:
V
0
= 25E
1

=> From (16), n

max
= 5
n
QW
= 0.886, 1.77, 2.65, 3.51, 4.33 (from (15) or from
figure
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss
RELATION BETWEEN ENERGY LEVELS IN A FINITE
WELL WITH THE FIRST LEVEL OF INFINITE WELL
Some figures: Some figures:
The energy spacing between the energy levels for The energy spacing between the energy levels for
the quantum wells with thickness ~10 nm is a few the quantum wells with thickness ~10 nm is a few
10 10s to a few 100 s to a few 100s s meV meV
At room temperature At room temperature kT kT ~ 26 ~ 26 meV meV. This means . This means
only the first energy levels can be occupied by only the first energy levels can be occupied by
electrons under typical device operational electrons under typical device operational
conditions conditions
Example: Example:
VV
0 0
= 25 = 25EE
11

=> From (16), => From (16), nn

max max
= 5 = 5
nn
QW QW
= 0.886, 1.77, 2.65, 3.51, 4.33 from (15) = 0.886, 1.77, 2.65, 3.51, 4.33 from (15)
or from the figure or from the figure
Plot of quantum numbers as a function of the maximum allowed
quantum number which is determined by the potential height V
0
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss
Bound states as a function of well thickness
1
]
1

+
2 2
2
0
*
max
2
1
h
l V m
Int n
e
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss
Optical absorption/emission in the quantum wells

,
_

,
_

+
2 *
2 2 2
2 *
2 2 2
2 2 l m
n
E
l m
n
E E E
h
i
V
e
i
C
V
i
C
i
h h
1
]
1

+ +
* * 2
2 2 2
1 1
2
h e
i
g
m m l
n
E
h
1
]
1

+
* * *
1 1 1
h e eh
m m m
m
eh
*
= optical effective mass
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss
Density of states in the low dimensional
structures
Lower the dimension greater
the density of states near the
band edge
=> Greater proportion of the
injected carriers contribute to
the band edge population
inversion and gain (in lasers)
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss
Quantum wires
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss
Quantum dots
Quantization in all the three directions
With a finite potential, the problem can be treated as a spherical
dot like an atom of radius R with a surrounding potential
V (r) = 0 for r R and
= V
b
for r R Here r is the co-ordinate
The solutions resemble those for the spectra of atoms
Total number of states
3 2
2 / 3 *
3
) 2 (
h
z y x b e
t
L L L V m
N
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss

e/v

e/v
+
s/e
>
s/v
Non-complete wetting:

s/v

s/e

e/v

s/e

e/v
+
s/e
<
s/v
Epitaxial layer (e)
Complete wetting:
Substrate (s)
Growth modes
Layer-by-layer or
Frank - van der Merwe
2D+3D or
Stranski - Krastanow
3D or
Volmer - Weber

e/v
and
s/v
: surface energies of epimaterial and substrate,
s/e
: interface energy substrate/epimaterial
Courtesy: W.Seifert
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss
Quantum wire and dot fabrication
From
http://www.ifm.liu.se/Matephys/AAnew/resear
ch/iii_v/qwr.htm#S1.7
Formed from reorganisation of a
sequence of AlGaAs and strained
InGaAs epitaxial films grown on
GaAs (311)B substrates by MOCVD.
The size of the quantum dots are as
small as 20 nm
Coupled QWRs -Evidence for
tunneling and electronic coupling
shown - Wire is GaAs, barrirer is
AlGaAs
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss
Etched Quantum Dots By E-Beam Lithography
E-beam lithography used for
Au-liftoff etch mask
Mask size =15-22 nm
SiCl
4
/SiF
4
RIE etch
Dot Size= 15-25 nm
Dot Density = 3x10
10
cm
-2
GaAs
AlGaAs
AlGaAs
GaAs
QW
Etched dots have poor optical quality
Dot density is low
Device applications require regrowth
Courtesy: P.Bhattacharya, Courtesy: P.Bhattacharya,
University of Michigan University of Michigan
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss
Researchers Vie to Achieve a Quantum-Dot laser
(Physics Today, May 1996)
K. Kamath, P. Bhattacharya, T. Sosnowksi, J. Phillips, and T. Norris, Electron. Lett., 30, 1374, 1996.
Room temperature quantum dot laser
Courtesy: Courtesy:
P.Bhattacharya, P.Bhattacharya,
University of University of
Michigan Michigan
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss
The laser heterostructures are grown by solid
source molecular beam epitaxy
The quantum dots are grown at 530C, the quantum
well is grown at 490C, and the rest of the structure
at 630C
The high strain due to the In
0.25
Ga
0.75
As QW limits the
number of dot layers to less than 4.
The energy separation between the quantum well
injector layer ground state and quantum dot ground
state is tuned by adjusting the In and Ga charge in
QD
Tunnel Injection QD Lasers Grown by MBE
Single mode ridge waveguide lasers
W=3m
L=200-1300m
p-AlGaAs
n-AlGaAs
Quantum dots
Active region
650
GaAs
1.5m p- Al
0.55
Ga
0.45
As
cladding layer
1.5m n- Al
0.55
Ga
0.45
As
cladding layer
750 GaAs
95
In
0.25
Ga
0.75
As
Injector well
In
0.4
Ga
0.6
As
quantum dots
18 GaAs
barriers
20 Al
0.55
Ga
0.45
As
barrier
h
LO
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
850 900 950 1000 1050
Wavelength (nm)
P
L

I
n
t
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
a
.
u
.
)
Quantum Dot(~980nm)
Injector
(~950nm)
T=12K
Courtesy: Courtesy:
P.Bhattacharya, P.Bhattacharya,
University of University of
Michigan Michigan
Sebastian Sebastian Lourdudoss Lourdudoss
History of Heterostructure Lasers
10
100
1000
10000
100000
1000000
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Year
T
h
r
e
s
h
o
l
d

C
u
r
r
e
n
t

D
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
A
/
c
m
2
)
GaAs pn
QW Miller et. al.
QD Kamath et. al.
Mirin et. al.
Shoji et. al.
QD Ledenstov et. al.
QD Liu et. al.
QW Dupuis et. al.
QW Tsang
QW Alferov et. al.
Chand et. al.
DHS
Alferov
et. al.
DHS QW
Alferov et. al.
Hayashi et. al.
T=300K
DHS - Diode Heterostructure
QW - Quantum Well
QD - Quantum Dot
Courtesy: Courtesy:
P.Bhattacharya, P.Bhattacharya,
University of University of
Michigan Michigan