VLSIVLSI Design1563-51711065-514XHindawi Publishing Corporation08574810.1155/1998/85748Three-Dimensional S-Matrix Simulation of Single-Electron Resonant Tunnelling Through Random Ionised Donor StatesMizutaHiroshimizuta@phy.cam.ac.uk1, 21Central Research LaboratoryHitachiLtd.KokubunjiTokyo 185Japanhitachi.com2Hitachi Cambridge LaboratoryCavendish LaboratoryMadingley RoadCambridge CB3 OHEUKcam.ac.uk199861-41031061998Copyright © 1998 Hindawi Publishing CorporationThis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

This paper presents a numerical study of single-electron resonant tunnelling (RT) assisted by a few ionised donors in a laterally-confined resonant tunnelling diode (LCRTD). The 3D multi-mode S-matrix simulation is performed newly introducing the scattering potential of discrete impurities. With a few ionised donors being placed, the calculated energy-dependence of the total transmission rate shows new resonances which are donor-configuration dependent. Visualised electron probability density reveals that these resonances originate in RT via single-donor-induced localised states. The I-V characteristics show current steps of order 0.1 nA per donor before the main current peak, which is quantitatively in good agreement with the experimental results.

Resonant tunnellingLateral confinementlonised donorSchrödinger equationS-matrixFine structure