Groups two-four-five2 chalcopyrites for high speed devices
Abstract
There is evidence that some of the II-IV-V2 chalcopyrites have basic electronic properties that are superior to the properties of their analog III-V sphalerite compounds for high speed devices. The primary objective of this work was to investigate techniques for the growth of high-quality epitaxial II-IV-V2 chalcopyrite layers on III-V substrates. For this purpose we initially selected CdSnP2 which nearly lattice matches InP and ZnGeAs2 which matches GaAs. Discussions in the literature have pointed out several problems with the usual theory of heterostructures. We present a general, first-order, nonequilibrium thermodynamic analysis which points out that one problem with conventional theory is that it neglects a generalized thermodynamic force. This force can be associated with the gradient of the effective density-of-states. In heterostructures such gradients cause the charge carriers to move into regions with higher density-of-states, thus increasing the entropy of the system in agreement with the second law of thermodynamics. We also show that if the electrochemical potential is referenced to the infinite vacuum level, then the electron affinity rule must be valid in the absence of interface states.
- Publication:
-
Final Technical Report
- Pub Date:
- July 1982
- Bibcode:
- 1982wusl.reptQ....W
- Keywords:
-
- Electronic Equipment;
- Epitaxy;
- Alkaline Earth Metals;
- Charge Carriers;
- Crystal Lattices;
- Electrochemistry;
- Electron Affinity;
- Entropy;
- Gallium Arsenides;
- Heterojunctions;
- Substrates;
- Thermodynamics;
- Zener Effect;
- Solid-State Physics