NER/SNB: Nanophononics: A New Approach to Electron Transport Enhancement in Nanoscale Devices

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The objective of this research is to demonstrate a possibility of the confined electron - confined phonon scattering rate suppression and corresponding enhancement of the electron mobility in the specially designed acoustically mismatched nanostructures. The novel nanophononic approach is based on the phonon depletion/accumulation effect in the semiconductor nanowires embedded within a barrier material characterized by a smaller acoustic impedance Z (which is a product of the material mass density and the sound velocity). The research is focused on the rigorous calculation of the electron mobility and electrical conductivity in the semiconductor channel embedded into the "acoustically softer" cladding layer; selection of the optimum nanowire and barrier material parameters for the maximum mobility enhancement; and experimental proof-of-the-concept demonstration using the prototype structures. The research will have a strong impact on the electronic industry affecting both the conventional complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology and beyond-CMOS electronic device designs. The research will add to the core knowledge of the electron transport in nanostructures and nanodevices, and will help to develop the concept of phonon engineering. The envisioned phonon engineering (nanophononics) approach to the enhancement of the electronic device operation may have an impact comparable to that of the electron band-gap engineering, which brought a revolution to the electronic and optoelectronic industries. The methods developed under this project will be transferred to semiconductor industry. In addition, this interdisciplinary research will help in building a strong nanotechnology educational program in UC-Riverside, the minority serving institution, with the largest minority student population of all 10 University of California campuses.