FLUCTUATIONS GENERATED AT SEMICONDUCTOR INTERFACES

We present a model for the description of the fluctuations generated b y the exchange of carriers through a semiconductor interface. The mode l describes the fluctuations by means of a set of interfacial fluctuat ing terms, implemented into the corresponding fluctuating boundary con ditions. Our formulation applies to both ideal as well as non-ideal in terfaces, for which the presence of interface states is taken into acc ount. The derivation of the model has been performed in the framework of non-equilibrium thermodynamics of systems with an interface, and wi th the help of the formalisms of the internal degrees of freedom and o f the fluctuating hydrodynamics. Within the present theory, the descri ption of the fluctuations generated by the exchange of carriers throug h a semiconductor interfaces relies, on the same grounds as the descri ption of the fluctuations generated in bulk semiconductors. (C) 1998 E lsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.