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Related Concept Videos

Metal-Semiconductor Junctions01:24

Metal-Semiconductor Junctions

The contact of metal and semiconductor can lead to the formation of a junction with either Schottky or Ohmic behavior.
Schottky Barriers
Schottky barriers arise when a metal with a work function (Φm) contacts a semiconductor with a different work function (Φs). Initially, electrons transfer until the Fermi levels of the metal and semiconductor align at equilibrium. For instance, if Φm > Φs, the semiconductor Fermi level is higher than the metal's before contact. The semiconductor's...
Carrier Transport01:21

Carrier Transport

The generation of electrical current in semiconductors is fundamentally driven by two mechanisms: drift and diffusion. These processes are essential for the functionality and performance of semiconductor-based devices.
Drift Current:
The drift of charge carriers is started by an external electric field (E). Charged particles, such as electrons and holes, experience an acceleration between collisions with lattice atoms. For electrons, this results in a drift velocity (vd) given by:
Debye–Huckel–Onsager Conductance Equation01:28

Debye–Huckel–Onsager Conductance Equation

The Debye-Hückel-Onsager equation is a cornerstone of physical chemistry, providing a method to determine the molar conductance (Λm) and molar conductance at infinite dilution (Λ°m) for uni-univalent electrolytes.Uni-univalent electrolytes are electrolytes that dissociate in solution to produce one cation with a +1 charge and one anion with a –1 charge per formula unit.This equation addresses two crucial phenomena: the asymmetry effect and the electrophoretic effect. According to this equation,...
The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom02:45

The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom

Shortly after de Broglie published his ideas that the electron in a hydrogen atom could be better thought of as being a circular standing wave instead of a particle moving in quantized circular orbits, Erwin Schrödinger extended de Broglie’s work by deriving what is now known as the Schrödinger equation. When Schrödinger applied his equation to hydrogen-like atoms, he was able to reproduce Bohr’s expression for the energy and, thus, the Rydberg formula governing hydrogen spectra. Schrödinger...
P-N junction01:11

P-N junction

A p-n junction is formed when p-type and n-type semiconductor materials are joined together. At the interface of the p-n junction, holes from the p-side and electrons from the n-side begin to diffuse into the opposite sides due to the concentration gradient. This diffusion of carriers leads to a region around the junction where there are no free charge carriers, known as the depletion region. The charge density within the depletion region for the n-side and p-side can be described by the...
Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions01:27

Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions

Biasing metal-semiconductor junctions involves applying a voltage across the junction. Specifically, the metal is connected to a voltage source, while the semiconductor is grounded. This technique is essential for controlling the direction and magnitude of current flow in electronic devices, including diodes, transistors, and photovoltaic cells.
In Schottky junctions, where the semiconductor is n-type, applying a positive voltage to the metal relative to the semiconductor reduces its Fermi...

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Scalable Quantum Integrated Circuits on Superconducting Two-Dimensional Electron Gas Platform
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First-principles methodology for quantum transport in multiterminal junctions.

Kamal K Saha1, Wenchang Lu, J Bernholc

  • 1Computer Science and Mathematics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6367, USA. ksaha@physics.udel.edu

The Journal of Chemical Physics
|November 10, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

We developed a new computational method to calculate electron flow and current-voltage (I-V) properties in complex electronic junctions. This approach accurately models electron behavior in multiterminal systems for advanced device design.

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Area of Science:

  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Materials Science
  • Computational Chemistry

Background:

  • Accurate simulation of electron transport in nanoscale junctions is crucial for developing advanced electronic devices.
  • Existing methods often face challenges in handling the complexity and multi-terminal nature of these systems.
  • First-principles calculations provide a robust framework for understanding electronic properties from fundamental quantum mechanics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a generalized, first-principles computational approach for calculating electron conductance and I-V characteristics in multiterminal junctions.
  • To demonstrate the method's capability in analyzing electron transmission and charge distribution within complex molecular systems.
  • To assess the applicability of the developed technique for simulating realistic electronic devices.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing Keldysh non-equilibrium Green function theory for electron transmission calculations.
  • Employing an O(N) linear-scaling method for efficient electronic structure computations.
  • Self-consistently solving the Poisson equation to obtain the non-equilibrium Green function and electron density under realistic bias conditions.

Main Results:

  • Successfully computed electron conductance and I-V characteristics for two distinct four-terminal systems: a radialene molecule junction and crossed carbon chains.
  • Visualized and analyzed charge density, potential profiles, and electron transmission pathways between different terminals.
  • Demonstrated the method's ability to capture intricate electronic behaviors in complex, multi-terminal nanostructures.

Conclusions:

  • The developed generalized approach offers a powerful and accurate tool for simulating electron transport in multiterminal junctions from first-principles.
  • The method is suitable for studying charge density, potential, and electron transmission in complex electronic devices.
  • This work paves the way for more sophisticated design and analysis of next-generation electronic components.