Modeling of oxidation-induced strain and its effect on the electronic properties of Si waveguides

We have studied the influence of oxidation-induced strain on the electronic structure in Si quantum wires and quantum point contacts. The strain calculations were done using a semiempirical approximation which enabled three-dimensional (3-D) strain simulations of the device structures. The strain-induced deformation of the conduction band gives rise to a 3-D potential minimum having a depth of ~35 meV. In addition to the formation of localized electron states in the channel, our calculations predict crossing of transverse energy levels corresponding to different conduction band minima. Our calculations also predict strain-induced channeling of electrons to the edges of the structure