Stationary State of Non-Equilibrium Plasmas in Semiconductors with Finite Cross-Section

✍ Scribed by Ø. Holter; R. R. Johnson

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1970
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 497 KB
• Volume: 38
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0370-1972
• DOI: 10.1002/pssb.19700380145

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Non‐equilibrium plasmas created by impact ionization in semiconductors are investigated. With constant axial current densities it is shown that the plasma is homogeneous in the axial direction. Expression for the radial density profiles are given in the limit of low and high plasma density. The numerical solution yields the impact ionization coefficient as a function of the total density. This relation is interpreted as a qualitative current‐voltage characteristic. With material specifications appropriate for InSb a region of negative differential conductivity is found for p‐InSb, but not for n‐InSb. The location of the turning point, corresponding to an infinite differential conductivity, is compared with Ancker‐Johnson's experimental results in p‐InSb.