Resonant tunneling through quantum wells: Physics and device applications

Abstract

Recent results on the physics and device applications of resonant tunneling (RT) are discussed. RT through parabolic quantum wells has been observed for the first time; up to fourteen resonances have been detected in one structure. The first ten correspond to RT through the quasi-bound-states of the parabolic well while the other ones are ascribed to electron interference effects associated with virtual levels in the quasi-continuum energy range above the collector barrier. A new hot-electron spectroscopy technique based on RT has been applied to the study of hot minority-electron injection in GaAs via band discontinuities. These results are important for the design of RT transistors. RT bipolar transistors and RT field effect transistors are discussed in the last section of the paper.