Charged impurity scattering limited low temperature resistivity of low density silicon inversion layers

TL;DR

This paper models the low-temperature resistivity of low-density silicon inversion layers, revealing a sharp quantum-classical transition and explaining anomalous temperature dependence in high-mobility MOSFETs.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical calculation of impurity scattering effects on resistivity, highlighting a quantum to classical crossover in low-density silicon inversion layers.

Findings

Sharp quantum to classical crossover in transport behavior

Non-monotonic temperature dependence of mobility

Qualitative explanation for observed resistivity anomalies

Abstract

We calculate within the Boltzmann equation approach the charged impurity scattering limited low temperature electronic resistivity of low density $n$-type inversion layers in Si MOSFET structures. We find a rather sharp quantum to classical crossover in the transport behavior in the $0 - 5$K temperature range, with the low density, low temperature mobility showing a strikingly strong non-monotonic temperature dependence, which may qualitatively explain the recently observed anomalously strong temperature dependent resistivity in low-density, high-mobility MOSFETs.