Charge Carrier Transport and Deep Levels Recharge in Avalanche S-Diodes Based on GaAs

Abstract

Carrier transport and deep-level recharging in semiconductor avalanche S-diode structures have been investigated. Gallium-arsenide n⁺–π–ν–n structures with the diffusion distribution of deep iron acceptors have been studied. It has been found by solving the continuity and Poisson equations with the use of a commercial software that the electron injection affects the avalanche breakdown voltage and the spacecharge region broadens due to capture of avalanche holes on negative iron ions in the π-region. It is demonstrated by comparing the results of numerical calculation with the experimental data that the S-shaped I–V characteristic of the diffusion avalanche S-diodes cannot be explained within the previously proposed mechanism of capture of avalanche holes on the deep iron levels.