Vertical three-terminal structures in semiconductor heterostructure quantum wells using a novel sidewall gating technique

Abstract

We present the application of a self-aligned sidewall gating technique in the fabrication of gated resonant tunneling devices with active mesa areas in the sub-micron regime. This technique should prove useful for the fabrication of variable area, vertical quasi one- and two-dimensional structures. We present current-voltage curves of gated devices at room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperatures for conduction in both directions through the double barrier structure. An analysis demonstrating the vertical uniformity of the gate field around the double barrier structure, a discussion on the possible extension of the technique to low-dimensional structures and the limits of application are presented.