Thermal runaway of IMPATT diodes
Abstract
A simple one-dimensional computer model of the DC-thermal behavior of a Schottky-barrier GaAs IMPATT diode has been formulated to compute the conditions for thermal runaway in IMPATT diodes of various designs. The model has been used to determine the thermal stability conditions for three designs of GaAs IMPATT's. Junction thermionic emission (leakage) current is thermally unstable, whereas avalanche multiplication is thermally stabilizing. Diode thermal stability at high junction temperature requires that the thermionic emission current be low and the avalanche multiplication be large. Lowering of the barrier height caused by contaminants or defects at the junction increases the likelihood of thermal runaway. For a given barrier height, the higher the doping of the IMPATT diode, the more resistant it will be to thermal runaway.
- Publication:
-
IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices
- Pub Date:
- April 1975
- DOI:
- 10.1109/T-ED.1975.18099
- Bibcode:
- 1975ITED...22..165O
- Keywords:
-
- Avalanche Diodes;
- Computer Aided Design;
- Gallium Arsenides;
- Schottky Diodes;
- Thermal Stability;
- Thermionic Emission;
- Additives;
- Ion Impact;
- Junction Diodes;
- Negative Resistance Devices;
- Temperature Effects;
- Transit Time;
- Work Functions;
- Electronics and Electrical Engineering