Observation of piezoelectric effects in strained resonant tunneling structures grown on (111)B GaAs

Journal Article · Sun Feb 19 23:00:00 EST 1995 · Applied Physics Letters; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.113821· OSTI ID:6604541

Campbell, I H; Joswick, M D; Smith, D L ^[1]; Miles, R H ^[2]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
2. Hughes Research Laboratories, Malibu, California 90265 (United States)

Measured current density was compared as a function of bias voltage for (111)B and (100) oriented resonant tunneling structures consisting of GaAlAs barriers and a GaInAs quantum well. The GaInAs quantum well is in biaxial compression. In the (111)B, but not the (100), oriented devices an electric field is generated inside the quantum well by the piezoelectric effect. It is observed that this strain generated electric field leads to a characteristic asymmetry in the current density of the (111)B oriented devices for positive and negative voltage bias. Calculations are presented that show how the piezoelectric generated electric field leads to the observed asymmetry in the current density of the (111)B oriented device and which are in qualitative agreement with the experimental observations.

• OSTI ID: 6604541
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters; (United States), Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters; (United States) Vol. 66:8; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360606* -- Other Materials-- Physical Properties-- (1992-)
ALUMINIUM ARSENIDES
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
ELECTRICITY
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
HETEROJUNCTIONS
INDIUM ARSENIDES
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
JUNCTIONS
PIEZOELECTRICITY
PNICTIDES
RESONANCE
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR DIODES
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
STRAINS
TUNNEL DIODES