Formation of strain-induced quantum dots in gated semiconductor nanostructures
A long-standing mystery in the field of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) is: Why are there so many unintentional dots (also known as disorder dots) which are neither expected nor controllable. It is typically assumed that these unintentional dots are due to charged defects, however the frequency and...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AIP Publishing LLC
2015-08-01
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| Series: | AIP Advances |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4928320 |
| _version_ | 1818537991601127424 |
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| author | Ted Thorbeck Neil M. Zimmerman |
| author_facet | Ted Thorbeck Neil M. Zimmerman |
| author_sort | Ted Thorbeck |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A long-standing mystery in the field of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) is: Why are there so many unintentional dots (also known as disorder dots) which are neither expected nor controllable. It is typically assumed that these unintentional dots are due to charged defects, however the frequency and predictability of the location of the unintentional QDs suggests there might be additional mechanisms causing the unintentional QDs besides charged defects. We show that the typical strains in a semiconductor nanostructure from metal gates are large enough to create strain-induced quantum dots. We simulate a commonly used QD device architecture, metal gates on bulk silicon, and show the formation of strain-induced QDs. The strain-induced QD can be eliminated by replacing the metal gates with poly-silicon gates. Thus strain can be as important as electrostatics to QD device operation operation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T18:57:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-62667c067d7e4ca48df303e6951d3554 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2158-3226 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T18:57:51Z |
| publishDate | 2015-08-01 |
| publisher | AIP Publishing LLC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AIP Advances |
| spelling | doaj.art-62667c067d7e4ca48df303e6951d35542022-12-22T00:54:06ZengAIP Publishing LLCAIP Advances2158-32262015-08-0158087107087107-1010.1063/1.4928320007508ADVFormation of strain-induced quantum dots in gated semiconductor nanostructuresTed Thorbeck0Neil M. Zimmerman1Quantum Measurement Division, NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USAQuantum Measurement Division, NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USAA long-standing mystery in the field of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) is: Why are there so many unintentional dots (also known as disorder dots) which are neither expected nor controllable. It is typically assumed that these unintentional dots are due to charged defects, however the frequency and predictability of the location of the unintentional QDs suggests there might be additional mechanisms causing the unintentional QDs besides charged defects. We show that the typical strains in a semiconductor nanostructure from metal gates are large enough to create strain-induced quantum dots. We simulate a commonly used QD device architecture, metal gates on bulk silicon, and show the formation of strain-induced QDs. The strain-induced QD can be eliminated by replacing the metal gates with poly-silicon gates. Thus strain can be as important as electrostatics to QD device operation operation.http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4928320 |
| spellingShingle | Ted Thorbeck Neil M. Zimmerman Formation of strain-induced quantum dots in gated semiconductor nanostructures AIP Advances |
| title | Formation of strain-induced quantum dots in gated semiconductor nanostructures |
| title_full | Formation of strain-induced quantum dots in gated semiconductor nanostructures |
| title_fullStr | Formation of strain-induced quantum dots in gated semiconductor nanostructures |
| title_full_unstemmed | Formation of strain-induced quantum dots in gated semiconductor nanostructures |
| title_short | Formation of strain-induced quantum dots in gated semiconductor nanostructures |
| title_sort | formation of strain induced quantum dots in gated semiconductor nanostructures |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4928320 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tedthorbeck formationofstraininducedquantumdotsingatedsemiconductornanostructures AT neilmzimmerman formationofstraininducedquantumdotsingatedsemiconductornanostructures |