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No Access Submitted: 15 March 1999 Accepted: 01 July 1999 Published Online: 29 September 1999

  • Hole initiated impact ionization in wide band gap semiconductors

Journal of Applied Physics 86, 4458 (1999); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.371386
Martin Reigrotzki, Ronald Redmer, and Niels Fitzer
  • Fachbereich Physik, Universität Rostock, Universitätsplatz 3, D-18051 Rostock, Germany
    • Stephen M. Goodnick and Manfred Dür
  • Department of Electrical Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-5706
    • Wolfgang Schattke
  • Institut für Theoretische Physik, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel, Leibnizstrasse 15, D-24118 Kiel, Germany
    • more...View Contributors
    • Martin Reigrotzki
    • Ronald Redmer
    • Niels Fitzer
    • Stephen M. Goodnick
    • Manfred Dür
    • Wolfgang Schattke
    ABSTRACT
    Band-to-band impact ionization by hot electrons and holes is an important process in high-field transport in semiconductors, leading to carrier multiplication and avalanche breakdown. Here we perform first principles calculations for the respective microscopic scattering rates of both electrons and holes in various wide band gap semiconductors. The impact ionization rates themselves are calculated directly from the electronic band structure derived from empirical pseudopotential calculations for cubic GaN, ZnS, and SrS. In comparison with the electron rates, a cutoff in the hole rate is found due to the relatively narrow valence bandwidths in these wide band gap semiconductors, which correspondingly reduces hole initiated carrier multiplication.

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