Theoretical Analysis of n-Type Si-Based Resonant Tunneling Diodes Deposited on Either Partially or Fully Relaxed SiGe Buffer Layers

We present a theoretical analysis on the electrical characteristics of n-type Si-based resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) with double-barrier heterostructures (DBHs) on either partially or fully relaxed SiGe buffer layers. The analysis on these DBHs indicates that the large peak-to-valley ratios (PVRs) obtained at low temperatures decrease rather rapidly with the increase of temperature and become negligibly small at room temperatures because of the thermal broadening of the energy distribution of the electrons at higher temperatures. We propose to improve the temperature performance with the use of a narrow quantum well in the DBH. With this approach, a reasonable PVR from the structure deposited on a partially relaxed SiGe buffer is achieved. This paper provides an important alternative to the current approaches in developing Si-based RTDs for practical applications.