This research examines basic properties of III-V compounds which relate to present or future electronic device requirements. Transport properties are studied, with emphasis on the effects of high fields, and the influence of these effects on specific device configurations is examined. Particular emphasis is placed on the study of heterojunctions, including transport properties, band discontinuities, material properties, lattice matching, and growth conditions, as well as quantum effects.

In this research we are studying the ultimate limitations of electronic transport in silicon and III-V compounds including superlattices and the corresponding potential for new devices, as well as the advantages of including heterolayers in conventional devices. The theoretical approach includes Monte Carlo simulations and explicit solutions of the Boltzmann equation. We are also developing a new algorithm to solve problems of quantum transport in the presence of dissipation.

In this project we investigate techniques to incorporate hot electron effects in standard simulation methods. New terms including overshoot effects are added to extend the applicability of the drift-diffusion equations to submicron structures. Macroscopic parameters needed to calibrate the model are extracted from Monte Carlo simulations or from analytical solutions of the Boltzmann equation.

Ultralow-dimensional structures, such as quantum wires or quantum dots characterized by transverse dimensions below 100 nm, may constitute the next generation of very sophisticated semiconductor devices. This research aims to investigate the potential of these artificial systems for VLSI and high-speed applications. This effort involves the fabrication and characterization of low-dimensional structures, as well as basic studies and modeling of their electronic and transport properties.

This collaborative research explores the potential of quantum wires for applications in high-speed electronic and optoelectronic devices and their implementation in optoelectronic integrated circuits. This project focuses on the transport and electronic properties of quantum wires fabricated by different technologies to compare their characteristics from the point of view of fast response, high differential gain, high spectral resolution, and low noise. The approach involves Monte Carlo particle simulation and utilization of Poisson-Schrödinger solvers to investigate carrier dynamics in variable geometries.

This research addresses various issues related to nonlinear charge transport in one-dimensional artificial structures over a range of temperature from liquid helium to room temperature. We focus on basic electronic properties and high-field transport in highly quantized systems with special emphasis on electron-phonon interaction, intersubband, and real space transfer effects. The research employs an integrated theoretical and experimental approach that involves tools and technologies developed at the University of Illinois. The various technical components in this project include structure fabrication and characterization as well as Monte Carlo simulation of high-field transport.

This interdisciplinary project focuses on multidimensional computational techniques for the analysis of transport in semiconductor microstructures that are dominated by quantum effects. We are developing a robust, modular set of computer routines with the goal of creating flexible tools for the systematic simulation of quantum nanostructures, both for the investigation of basic transport physics and for the evaluation of potential device applications.