Etching trenches to effectively create electron quantum wires for single-electron-transistor applications

Journal Article · Mon Jun 04 04:00:00 EDT 2001 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1377315· OSTI ID:40203200

Fu, Y; Willander, M; Wang, T H

By self-consistently solving two-dimensional Schrodinger and Poisson equations, we have studied electron quantum wires formed by etching two shallow trenches in GaAs/InGaAs/AlGaAs and GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures for single-electron-transistor applications. Two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) form in the InGaAs layer in GaAs/InGaAs/AlGaAs and at the GaAs/AlGaAs interface in GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure, the two etched trenches deplete the carriers of the 2DEGs underneath and thus effectively define an electron quantum wire. It has been determined that two etched trenches with a depth of 50 nm and a spatial separation of 250 nm are optimal to create an electron quantum wire in a GaAs/InGaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure with a cross section of 80{times}10 nm{sup 2} and a peak electron concentration of 1.5{times}10{sup 18} cm{sup {minus}3} at 4.2 K. {copyright} 2001 American Institute of Physics.

• Sponsoring Organization: (US)
• OSTI ID: 40203200
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 23 Vol. 78; ISSN 0003-6951
• Publisher: The American Physical Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CROSS SECTIONS
ELECTRONS
ETCHING
GASES
PHYSICS
POISSON EQUATION