A computer-aided approach to teaching band structure formation

Author

Brennan, Kevin F.

Author_Institution

Sch. of Electr. Eng., Georgia Inst. of Technol., Atlanta, GA, USA

Volume

35

Issue

1

fYear

1992

fDate

2/1/1992 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

60

Lastpage

68

Abstract

A computer-aided method for teaching energy band formation in a superlattice which enables direct comparison to energy band formation in crystals through the tight-binding method is presented. The time-independent Schroedinger equation for a heterostructure stack is solved by the transfer matrix method along with the effective mass approximation using a standard Fortran 77 computer code. The code is suitable for use on a personal computer which provides a ready laboratory in which the student can examine the effect of varying the electron wavefunction overlap between adjacent sites. In this way, the student can perform a series of computer experiments which vividly illustrate energy miniband formation in superlattices and by direct analogy energy band formation in crystals

Keywords

FORTRAN listings; Schrodinger equation; band structure of crystalline semiconductors and insulators; computer aided instruction; education; interface electron states; physics computing; semiconductor superlattices; tight-binding calculations; Fortran 77 computer code; GaAs-Al_0.32Ga_0.68As; band structure formation; computer-aided approach; crystals; effective mass approximation; electron wavefunction overlap; energy band; energy miniband formation; heterostructure stack; personal computer; superlattice; teaching; tight-binding method; time-independent Schroedinger equation; transfer matrix method; Crystals; Education; Effective mass; Electrons; Energy states; Equations; Microcomputers; Semiconductor materials; Solid modeling; Superlattices;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Education, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9359

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/13.123419

Filename

123419