Potential Well Barrier Diodes for Submillimeter Wave and High-Frequency Applications

Physica Status Solidi (b)

2019

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The impact of grading the GaAs/AlGaAs interface on carrier dynamics in a potential well barrier (PWB) diode has been explored and demonstrated in this paper. Three heterostructures in the GaAs/AlGaAs system namely GaAs/Al0.2Ga0.8As, GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As, and GaAs/Al0.4Ga0.6As with corresponding band offsets of 0.10, 0.25, and 0.30 eV, respectively, are investigated using the drift‐diffusion (DD) and Monte Carlo (MC) models. The behavior of the diodes with different band offsets are compared in terms of mean electron velocity, mean electron energy, and density of charge along the intrinsic regions and in the potential well. The MC simulation model enables the effects of space‐charge injection and carrier heating, which are not included in previous study of these structures, be treated quantitatively. Significant differences exist in the behavior of the three heterojunctions as this impacts the curvature coefficient and ideality factor of the diode. Both the ideality factor and curvature coefficient reflect the magnitude of band offset of the heterojunctions (interface).

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the Role of Band Offset on the Property and Operation of the Potential Well Barrier Diodes

Physica Status Solidi (b)

2019

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“…and 150 respectively with a GaAs well thickness of 30 . The MC model has been discussed in previous report on the PWB diode [3], [6] and for the study of Gunn diodes [10] and has been successfully proven to be an effective tool for studying such similar structures especially at high electric fields where consideration to carrier heating is of utmost importance. The scattering mechanism used in the simulation are the inter-valley, acoustic and polar phonon scattering and the effect of non-parabolicity was considered.…”

Section: Well Designs and Simulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Just like Planar Doped Barrier diodes (PDB) [1], [2] and other heterostructure barrier devices, Potential Well Barrier diodes (PWB) studied in [3][4][5][6] have shown prospects of applications in detector and mixers. The diode has a lot of advantages compared to similar devices for the same purpose.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improvement on Well Design and Operation of Potential Well Barrier Diodes

2019 International Semiconductor Conference (CAS)

Missous

2019

The flexibility in design of the potential well in PWB diodes has shown promising prospects for zero-bias operation capability and improvements in the overall performance of the diode. We consider the right intrinsic region whilst regrading further the GaAs well. The performance of the diodes was measured and compared in terms of the turn-on voltage and curvature coefficient. We found that the turn on voltage of the diodes improves significantly with increases in the graded regions. At a current density of . × − Amperes per meters square, the diodes with graded regions . , . and . have turn-on voltages of . , . and ., while the curvature coefficient estimated at .was respectively obtained to be . , . and .. Keywords-Monte Carlo model; turn-on voltage; barrier height; curvature coefficient; responsivity.

“…A prototype diode, shown in Fig. , has recently been reported and demonstrated . As with the PDBs, there is ease of technologically controllable barrier heights to achieve desired heights for zero bias detection but further possesses some significant advantages over the PDB and Schottky barrier diodes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

GaAs/AlGaAs potential well barrier diodes: Novel diode for detector and mixer applications

Physica Status Solidi (a)

Sexton

et al. 2017

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Heterostructure potential well barrier (PWB) diodes in GaAs/ AlGaAs system operating in a similar way to Planar Doped Barrier (PDB) diodes, though exploiting a potential well to trap charge, rather than a fixed doping spike have recently been realized and reported in the literature. This paper analyses the complex operation of these devices and determines the sensitivity of the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics to various design parameters. The PWB diode displays a significant temperature sensitivity, opposite in nature to PDB temperature dependence, and this suggests the possibility of temperature stabilised hybrid designs. The active bias dependence nature of charge within the well is found to have a significant effect on the device and impacts the ideality factor, which is more bias dependent than other comparable devices such as PDBs. However, the same mechanism offers the prospect of improvement in the current asymmetry and this effect can be greatly improved upon by changing the design and shape of the potential well.