Theory of electron-plasmon-scattering rate in highly doped bulk semiconductors

Abstract

We compared two different formulations, the electron-field and electron-electron models, for electron-plasmon scattering in bulk semiconducting materials. The calculations employ three different expressions for the plasmon dispersion relation and are made at two different temperatures. It is found that the functional form of the dispersion relation greatly affects the electron-plasmon-scattering rate. The electron-field model is found to predict a higher scattering rate than the electron-electron model, independent of the form of the dispersion relation. Either model predicts the same order-of-magnitude scattering rate, which is found, in the case of bulk degenerate GaAs, to be comparable to the polar optical-phonon-scattering rate. Based on these calculations, plasmon scattering appears to be an important mechanism limiting electron transport in degenerate semiconductors and related semiconductor devices.