METAL-INSULATOR-TRANSITION IN STRONGLY DOPED P(-WELLS ON A N-TYPE SILICON SURFACE() QUANTUM)

The first p(+) quantum wells, situated on a n-type silicon surface, wh ose energy characteristics depend on the relative contribution of the kickout and dissociative vacancy mechanisms to diffusion of the accept or dopant, were obtained. The results of experimental studies of the e lectrical, thermoelectric, and optical properties of strongly doped p( +) quantum wells demonstrate the existence of a gap in the density of states of the degenerate, two-dimensional hole gas. Despite the energy gap in the density of states, the two-dimensional hole gas can manife st both insulator and metallic properties because of the different deg rees of suppression of the Anderson localization produced as a result of the disorder in the dopant distribution. The decay of charge correl ations in an electric field applied perpendicular or parallel to the p lane of the p(+)-n junction was found to induce powerful infrared radi ation, whose spectral dependence is determined by the degree of doping and the dimensions of the p(+) quantum well. (C) 1995 American Instit ute of Physics.