Diffusive transport in quasi-2D and quasi-1D electron systems

Quantum-confined semiconductor structures are the cornerstone of modern-day electronics. Spatial confinement in these structures leads to formation of discrete low-dimensional subbands. At room temperature, carriers transfer among different states due to efficient scattering with phonons, charged impurities, surface roughness and other electrons, so transport is scattering limited (diffusive) and well described by the Boltzmann transport equation. In this review, we present the theoretical framework used for the description and simulation of diffusive electron transport in quasi-two-dimensional and quasi-one-dimensional semiconductor structures. Transport in silicon MOSFETs and nanowires is presented in detail.