Nonequilibrium drift-diffusion transport in semiconductors in presence of strong inhomogeneous electric fields

The self-consistent analysis of drift-diffusion transport in strong inhomogeneous electric fields shows that the local mobility is determined by the “field parameter” f(r)=∇rEc(r)∙∇rEF(r), rather than the electric field ∇rEc(r)∕e or the quasi-Fermi potential gradient ∇rEF(r)∕e, as is usually assumed...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied physics letters 2006-12, Vol.89 (25)
Main Author: Zakhleniuk, N. A.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:The self-consistent analysis of drift-diffusion transport in strong inhomogeneous electric fields shows that the local mobility is determined by the “field parameter” f(r)=∇rEc(r)∙∇rEF(r), rather than the electric field ∇rEc(r)∕e or the quasi-Fermi potential gradient ∇rEF(r)∕e, as is usually assumed. This takes place at both high and low carrier densities. The methods for derivation of μ(f) in both cases are presented. The analysis is applied to numerical simulation of a p-i-n photodiode, and it is shown that the use of μ(F) with F(r)=∣∇rEc(r)∕e∣ results in grossly exaggerated carrier drift velocities. The implications for drift-diffusion models used in commercial device simulators are discussed.
ISSN:0003-6951
1077-3118
DOI:10.1063/1.2420787