Strain Induced Band Structure Modifications in Semiconductor Heterostructures and Consequences for Electronic and Optical Devices

Abstract

Coherent strain produced in lattice mismatched epitaxy can be exploited to alter the band structure of semiconductor heterostructures to a significant extent. The dominant effect of strain is to lift certain degeneracies in the Brillouin zone, alter the density of states at band edges and the band gaps. These effects can have significant effects on transport and optical properties of devices. This will be illustrated by examining the role of strain in electrical properties of SiGe strained alloys and on the performance of strained quantum well lasers.