Hot-electron-induced minority-carrier generation in bipolar junction transistors

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The authors report on the observation and analysis of minority-carrier generation in the collector and the substrate of n-p-n bipolar junction transistors as a result of photons which are generated in the collector-base depletion region. Both the substrate current and the additional leakage current peak at V/sub BE/ approximately 0.8 V. In the authors' model of the phenomena, the photons induce the generation of carriers both in the depletion region and in the neutral region. The generated minority carriers in the neutral region diffuse and contribute to the substrate current and the junction leakage current. The contribution of the carriers that are generated in the depletion region is not dominant. >