Temperature dependent electronic specific heat of semiconductor quantum well nanostructure

Abstract

Theoretical model equation of semiconductor quantum well nanostructure has been developed. From the model equation, the electronic specific heat is found to be temperature dependent. Other theoretical model equations developed are the carrier concentrations, Fermi level which are dependent on the temperature and density of state of the two dimensional structure. For a quantum well width of 10 nm, potential depth of 0.6eV/0.3eV, using GaAs as well material the energies in the conduction and valence band of the nanostructure is calculated. Using these energies, the electronic specific heat of the nanostructure has been computed at different temperatures in the regime 30 K-1000 K using some experimental data available in literature. The electronic specific heat is suppressed completely below 30 K, and remain virtually constant from a temperature of 40 K to about 750 K. Above this temperature, the electronic specific heat increases as temperature increases by order of magnitude 1.11x10¹⁴eV/K². It is found that the results are in good agreement with available experimental data. The result so obtained is expected to be useful for future predictions of the variation of electronic devices with temperature.