Low-temperature electron mobility in a δ-doped semiconductor

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Abstract
The low-temperature electron mobility in δ-doped GaAs is calculated by using the Boltzmann equation and the relaxation-time approximation. It is assumed that the electrons are scattered from ionized impurities. Screening of charged impurities by electrons occupying several subbands is described with the help of (i) the random-phase approximation, (ii) the Thomas-Fermi method, and (iii) the bulk dielectric constant only. Among those methods mentioned above, the random-phase approximation has proved quite successful in studying the screening while the other two methods are inadequate. The mobility exhibits a drop when the excited subbands become occupied. It is shown, however, that as a consequence of the parity of the subband wave functions, the drop in the mobility when the Fermi level coincides with the bottom of the first excited subband is negligible.