Investigation of resonant interband tunneling structures using a three-band [formula omitted] model

Abstract

A three-band k · p model (CLH model) considering realistically the coupling effects among the conduction band, light-hole band and heavy-hole band is proposed to investigate further the characteristics of the resonant interband tunneling structures. The tunneling current densities for k ‖-independent and -dependent cases are calculated for comparison. It is found that the inclusion of the k ‖ dependence is important in the discussion of the current-voltage (I–V) characteristics. The small peaks in low temperature I–V characteristics for GaSb/AlSb/InAs/GaSb/AlSb/InAs broken-gap interband tunneling (BGIT) structure with a 120 Å wide InAs well is owing to the substantial coupling between conduction band and heavy-hole band on nonzero k ‖. The effects coming from the k ‖ dependence also contribute to the rising of the first peak and the broading of the second peak in the low temperature I–V characteristics for BGIT structure with a 240 Å wide InAs well. A CLH model can interpret the particular phenomena in the I–V characteristics that cannot be explained by the two-band model, usually used in the investigation of the interband tunneling structures.