UTILIZATION OF QUANTUM DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS FOR ULTRA-SUBMICRON DEVICE TRANSPORT

Abstract

The Wigner representation is considered as a method for describing quantum transport phenomena in connection with submicron device physics. The Wigner distribution function is reviewed, its non-uniqueness discussed ; its generalization to other quantum distribution functions is examined. The equation of motion for the Wigner distribution function is described and a new result, the moments of this equation of motion, is derived. It is shown that the moment equations contain quantum corrections to the classical moment equations ; these quantum terms are seen to be non-negligible when the carrier transit lengths are of the order of the particle deBroglie wavelength.