First-principles calculation of alloy scattering in Ge(x)Si(1-x).
First-principles electronic structure methods are used to find the rates of intravalley and intervalley n-type carrier scattering due to alloy disorder in Si(1-x)Ge(x) alloys. The required alloy scattering matrix elements are calculated from the energy splitting of nearly degenerate Bloch states which arises when one average host atom is replaced by a Ge or Si atom in supercells containing up to 128 atoms. Scattering parameters for all relevant Delta and L intravalley and intervalley alloy scattering are calculated. Atomic relaxation is found to have a substantial effect on the scattering parameters. f-type intervalley scattering between Delta valleys is found to be comparable to other scattering channels. The n-type carrier mobility, calculated from the scattering rate using the Boltzmann transport equation in the relaxation time approximation, is in excellent agreement with experiments on bulk, unstrained alloys.
Murphy-Armando
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Tyndall National Institute, Lee Maltings, Prospect Row, Cork, Ireland.
Fahy
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