LAAS-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France, LNE, 29 avenue Roger Hennequin, Trappes, France, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Université de Toulon, IM2NP UMR 7334, Marseille, France, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France, CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, Grenoble, France, University Montpellier, IES, UMR 5214, Montpellier, France, CNRS, IES, UMR 5214, Montpellier, France, CEA LIST, Centre d'Etudes, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of multiband corrections on the current density in GaAs tunnel junctions (TJs) calculated with a refined yet simple semi-classical interband tunneling model (SCITM). The non-parabolicity of the considered bands and the spin-orbit effects are considered by using a recently revisited SCITM available in the literature. The model is confronted to experimental results from a series of molecular beam epitaxy grown GaAs TJs and to numerical results obtained with a full quantum model based on the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism and a 6-band k.p Hamiltonian. We emphasize the importance of considering the non-parabolicity of the conduction band by two different measurements of the energy-dependent electron effective mass in N-doped GaAs. We also propose an innovative method to compute the non-uniform electric field in the TJ for the SCITM simulations, which is of prime importance for a successful operation of the model. We demonstrate that, when considering the multiband corrections and this new computation of the non-uniform electric field, the SCITM succeeds in predicting the electrical characteristics of GaAs TJs, and are also in agreement with the quantum model. Besides the fundamental study of the tunneling phenomenon in TJs, the main benefit of this SCITM is that it can be easily embedded into drift-diffusion software, which are the most widely-used simulation tools for electronic and opto-electronic devices such as multi-junction solar cells, tunnel field-effect transistors, or vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. © 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd.

band-to-band tunneling, k.p model, multi-junction solar cells, multiband corrections, semi-classical simulation, tunnel junctions

Computer software, Doping (additives), Electric fields, Field effect transistors, Gallium arsenide, Hamiltonians, Molecular beam epitaxy, Multi-junction solar cells, Optoelectronic devices, Semiconducting gallium, Surface emitting lasers, Band to band tunneling, Classical simulation, Electrical characteristic, K.p modeling, Multiband, Non-equilibrium Green's function formalism, Nonuniform electric field, Tunnel field effect transistor, Tunnel junctions