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Effective-Mass Theory For Inhomogeneous Semiconductors

Five papers present derivations in effective-mass theory for semiconducing materials of gradually varying spatial composition. In paper entitled "Position-Dependent Effective Masses in Semiconductor Theory," concept of spatially-varying effective masses reviewed and shown unworkable. Second paper considers compound semiconductor having gradual spatial variation of composition. Third paper shows effective masses depend on average of chemical composition over entire crystal. Pair of papers entitled "Forces Acting on Free Carriers in Semiconductors of Inhomogeneous Composition" show it is incorrect to apply extended Wannier-Slater theorem using spatially changing effective masses, and quasi-electric fields due to spatial variations in chemical composition do not depend explicitly on temperature.

Von Roos, Oldwig

Imaging the Acceptor Wave Function Anisotropy in Silicon

We present the first scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) image of hydrogenic acceptor wave functions in silicon. These acceptor states appear as square-ring-like features in STM images and originate from near-surface defects introduced by high-energy bismuth implantation into a silicon (001) wafer. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy confirms the formation of a p-type surface. Effective-mass and tight-binding calculations provide an excellent description of the observed square-ring-like features, confirming their acceptor character and attributing their symmetry to the light- and heavy-hole band degeneracy in silicon. A detailed understanding of the energetic and spatial properties of acceptor wave functions in silicon is essential for engineering large-scale acceptor-based quantum devices.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY

An investigation of impurity centers in semiconductors of variable composition. Part 1: General theory and some applications

A theory of deep point defects imbedded in otherwise perfect semiconductor crystals is developed with the aid of pseudopotentials. The dominant short-range forces engendered by the impurity are sufficiently weakened in all cases where the cancellation theorem of the pseudopotential formalism is operative. Thus, effective-mass-like equations exhibiting local effective potentials derived from nonlocal pseudopotentials are shown to be valid for a large class of defects. A two-band secular determinant for the energy eigenvalues of deep defects is also derived from the set of integral equations which corresponds to the set of differential equations of the effective-mass type. Subsequently, the theory in its simplest form, is applied to the system Al(x)Ga(1-x)As:Se. It is shown that the one-electron donor level of Se within the forbidden gap of Al(x)Ga(1-x)As as a function of the AlAs mole fraction x reaches its maximum of about 300 meV (as measured from the conduction band edge) at the cross-over from the direct to the indirect band-gap at x = 0.44 in agreement with experiments.

Vonroos, O. H.

Position-dependent effective masses in semiconductor theory. II

A compound semiconductor possessing a slowly varying position-dependent chemical composition is considered. An effective-mass equation governing the dynamics of electron (or hole) motion using the Kohn-Luttinger representation and canonical transformations is derived. It is shown that, as long as the variation in chemical composition may be treated as a perturbation, the effective masses become constant, position-independent quantities. The effective-mass equation derived here is identical to the effective-mass equation derived previously by von Roos (1983), using a Wannier representation.

Von Roos, O.