Gate-controlled hysteresis curves and dual-channel conductivity in an undoped Si/SiGe 2DEG structure

Abstract

Exploring the cryogenic transport properties of two-dimensional electron gas in semiconductor heterostructures is always a focus of fundamental research on Si-based gate-controlled quantum devices. In this work, based on the electrical and magnetic transport characteristics of Si/SiGe heterostructure Hall bar-shaped field effect transistors (FETs) at 10 K and 1.6 K, we study the effects of electron tunneling, which occurs in the heterostructure and populates the oxide/semiconductor interface, on its transport properties. The initial position of dual-channel conduction is determined by the gate-controlled electrical hysteresis curves. Furthermore, we discover that there exist different tunneling mechanisms of electrons in a Si quantum well under the action of gate voltage, and the electron tunneling can well explain the two drain current plateaus appearing in direct-current transfer characteristics. Combining the power-law exponent of electron mobility versus density curve and the gate-related Dingle ratio, we clarify the dominant scattering mechanism, and the result can be supported by different tunneling mechanisms. Our work demonstrates the gate-dependent electronic transport performance in undoped Si/SiGe heterostructure FETs, which has an implication for the development of Si/SiGe heterostructure gate-defined quantum dot quantum computation.