Nanoelectronic Device Simulation Based on the Wigner Function Formalism

Coherent transport in mesoscopic devices is well described by the Schrödinger equation supplemented by open boundary conditions. When electronic devices are operated at room temperature, however, a realistic transport model needs to include carrier scattering. In this work the kinetic equation for the Wigner function is employed as a model for dissipative quantum transport. Carrier scattering is treated in an approximate manner through a Boltzmann collision operator. A Monte Carlo technique for the solution of this kinetic equation has been developed, based on an interpretation of the Wigner potential operator as a generation term for numerical particles. Including a multi-valley semiconductor model and a self-consistent iteration scheme, the described Monte Carlo simulator can be used for routine device simulations. Applications to single barrier and double barrier structures are presented. The limitations of the numerical Wigner function approach are discussed.