INVESTIGATION OF NEGATIVE DIFFERENTIAL RESISTANCE PHENOMENA IN GASB/ALSB/INAS/GASB/ALSB/INAS STRUCTURES

Abstract

The negative differential resistance (NDR) phenomena were observed in GaSb/AlSb/InAs/-GaSb/AlSb/InAs resonant interband tunnel structures. Electron has resonantly achieved interband tunneling through the InAs/GaSb broken-gap quantum well. The InAs well width causes significant variations of the peak current density and NDR behaviors. The peak current density varies exponentially with the AlSb barrier thickness. The multiple NDR behavior was observed with appropriate InAs well and AlSb barrier thickness, e.g., 30 angstrom thick AlSb barrier and 240 angstrom wide InAs well. Only single negative resistance has, otherwise, been seen. The three-band model was used to interpret the effect of the InAs well and AlSb barrier on the current-voltage characteristics of GaSb/AlSb/InAs/GaSb/AlSb/InAs structures.