Generation of Electromagnetic Oscillations of Submillimeter Range by GazIn1 – zAs Diodes Using Impact Ionization

Authors O.V. Botsula , К.H. Prykhodko
Affiliations

V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, 4, Svoboda Sq., 61077 Kharkiv, Ukraine

Е-mail oleg.botsula@karazin.ua
Issue Volume 11, Year 2019, Number 2
Dates Received 08 January 2019; revised manuscript received 05 April 2019; published online 15 April 2019
Citation O.V. Botsula, К.H. Prykhodko, J. Nano- Electron. Phys. 11 No 2, 02009 (2019)
DOI https://doi.org/10.21272/jnep.11(2).02009
PACS Number(s) 85.30.Fg, 73.40.Kp, 73.40. – c
Keywords Diodes (4) , Impact ionization, Graded-gap layer, Domain (10) , Electric field strength, Generation efficiency (2) , Frequency range.
Annotation

Development of millimeter and terahertz wave ranges is one of the main objectives of modern high-frequency electronic devices. However, there are not many active elements able to operate in these ranges. Transferred electron devices (TED) still remain a more widespread compact electromagnetic wave sources. But oscillation efficiency of TED operating in the submillimeter wave range is small and, in most cases, generation becomes impossible.Difficulties in obtaining maximum frequencies are mainly determined by the electron transition time from the upper valley to the lower one. The aim of the work is to investigate reduction of the transition time problem by using band to band impact ionization. The paper deals with charge transport in short diodes with InzGa1 – zAs-based graded band structure with the active region length of 0.64 (m. Doping concentration in the n-type active region was 1016…8∙1016 cm – 3. Ensemble Monte-Carlo Technique is carried out to describe the charge carrier dynamics in the device. A three-valley conduction band and heavy hole band ГV1 are taken into account.It is shown a possibility of using localized impact ionization as an energy relaxation mechanism. Correlation between the number of acts of impact ionization and decrease in electron number in the upper valleys are demonstrated. Oscillation efficiency of the diodes is calculated. It is shown that impact ionization can lead to increase in the maximum generation frequency.The proposed way of improving frequency properties due to modification of electron transfer near the anode contact can be applied to short structures and allows maximum generation frequencies.

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