The electron-phonon interaction in a two dimensional electron gas

At low temperatures the predominant energy loss mechanism for a Joule-heated two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) is by acoustic phonon emission. By very accurately measuring the temperature gradient developed along the silicon substrate the phonon emission has been investigated as a function of electron concentration, device power, magnetic field and temperature. In zero magnetic field the results show the cut-off predicted theoretically in the maximum phonon momentum that can be emitted in the plane of the 2DEG for low electron concentrations. It is also found that the momentum of the emitted phonons perpendicular to the plane of the 2DEG is restricted by the width of the 2DEG for the high resistivity (1000 [omega]cm) substrates used. For carrier concentrations greater than 4.9 x 1016 m-2 phonon emission from an upper subband is seen. Electrical measurements indicate that the high mobility (1.2 m2 V-1 S-1) of the devices used leads to changes in the screening of scattering potentials by the electrons being important. This is also seen in the phonon emission experiments. Experiments performed in quantising magnetic fields up to 7 T show that for the powers used (0.2 uW mm-2 – 500 uW mm-2) the phonons emitted arise from Lars-Landau level scattering. Oscillations in the temperature of a thermometer situated directly opposite the middle of the 2DEG are attributed to the movement of the phonon emission to the corners of the 2DEG when the Fermi level is between Landau levels (the Quantum Hall regime). Other trends are attributed to the width of the Landau level limiting the maximum phonon energy that can be emitted. Attempts to use a stress tuned phonon filter to probe the frequency dependence of the phonon emission failed due to experimental difficulties.