Modeling of semiconductor quantum devices and its applications.

Semiconductor science and technology have advanced to a stage where a new class of devices has opened up a frontier field in semiconductor research. This thesis is concerned with modeling of semiconductor quantum devices. More specifically, a modeling approach based on the envelope function description of electron states is developed to calculate the terminal properties of electronic quantum devices. The thesis is comprised of two parts. In the first part formalisms and numerical methods for modeling quantum devices are presented. Emphasis is placed on the self-consistent solution of the Schrodinger equation and Poisson's equation, and on the calculation of device current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics. The second part contains the application of the modeling approach. Results on various devices are examined, which highlight findings on various device topics, including the bistability of resonant tunneling diodes, negative differential resistance of resonant tunneling transistors, a novel structure of quantum well varactor with highly nonlinear C-V characteristics, and $\Gamma$-X mixing effects in quantum well structures.Ph.D.Applied SciencesCondensed matter physicsElectrical engineeringElectromagneticsPure SciencesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/129231/2/9409820.pd