Semiclassical interband tunnelling probability in semiconductor heterostructures

Abstract
A new semiclassical method to calculate the characteristics of interband tunnelling devices is proposed. This method generalizes the approach developed earlier for the case of interfaces non-perpendicular to the particle wavevector. It allows one to obtain analytical expressions for the tunnelling probability T in semiconductor structures with abrupt heterojunctions. The characteristics of InAs/AlGaSb/InAs, InAs/AlGaSb/GaSb diodes are calculated using the developed method. All results are compared with those from the classical WKB approach and the transfer matrix method to determine the tunnelling probability.