MONTE-CARLO SIMULATION OF HOT-ELECTRON TRANSPORT IN SI USING A UNIFIED PSEUDOPOTENTIAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CRYSTAL

We have constructed a unique Monte Carlo simulation which takes into a ccount (i) the bandstructure of the semiconductor, (ii) the anisotropy of the scattering rates due to both the density-of-states and the ele ctron-phonon matrix elements, (iii) realistic phonon dispersion, and ( iv) an impact ionization scattering rate including the anisotropy of t he rate and the intracollisional field effect. The sole inputs to the simulation are the empirical local pseudopotential form factors of the semiconductor, and an appropriate dynamical matrix to describe the la ttice dynamics. The only freedom we have in constructing the transport model is in choosing an interpolation of the pseudopotential between 'known' form factors. This is necessary for the calculation of the rig id pseudo-ion matrix elements. This computational model provides us fo r the first time with a rigorous test of our ability to formulate and calculate semiclassical transport properties based on fundamental phys ical principles, i.e., we calculate both the bandstructure and the ele ctron-phonon interaction using the same pseudopotentials to describe t he periodic crystal potential.