COMPARISON OF HIGH FIELD STEADY STATE AND TRANSIENT ELECTRON TRANSPORT IN WURTZITE GaN, AlN AND InN

Abstract

An ensemble Monte Carlo simulation is used to compare bulk electron transport in wurtzite phase GaN , AlN and InN materials. Electronic states within the conduction band valleys at the Γ1, U, M, Γ3 and K are represented by non-parabolic ellipsoidal valleys centered on important symmetry points of the Brillouin zone. For all materials, it is found that electron velocity overshoot only occurs when the electric field is increased to a value above a certain critical field, unique to each material. This critical field is strongly dependent on the material parameters. Transient velocity overshoot has also been simulated, with the sudden application of fields up to ~5 × 107 Vm -1, appropriate to the gate-drain fields expected within an operational field effect transistor. The electron drift velocity relaxes to the saturation value of ~1.4 × 105 ms -1 within 4 ps, for all crystal structures. The steady state and transient velocity overshoot characteristics are in fair agreement with other recent calculations.