We present theoretical and experimental investigations of current filaments in thin n-GaAs films in the regime of low-temperature impurity breakdown. Simulations combining a Monte Carlo approach for the scattering and generation-recombination processes with a drift-diffusion model on a two-dimensional spatial domain yield detailed information about the distribution of the electron densities, electron temperature, current density and electric field. The theory is confirmed by spatially resolved measurements using a novel technique of quenched photoluminescence.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.