Temperature dependence of forward current-voltage characteristics in a GaAs PiN structure with near-fully compensated i-region under low and high injection conditions

Abstract

The forward current-voltage characteristics ( I− V) of a GaAs P + PiNN + diode with a near-fully compensated (¦N d − N a ¦ < 5 × 10 11 cm −3) i-region were investigated theoretically and experimentally in current density range j = 10 −11 − 10 −1 A/ cm 2 and at temperatures between 300 and 700 K. It is shown that in a j range of 1–100 mA/cm 2 the forward voltage drop V is linear with temperature up to 550–700 K, and that its temperature dependence dV dT is changing in the range of 3.6–2.3 mV/K when j changes from 1.5 to 100 mA/cm 2. The maximum temperature of the linear range, T lim, and dV dT depend on the thickness of i-region W i : at an applied j of 10 mA/cm 2, when W i increases from 5 to 30 μm, T lim decreases from 640 to 540 K, and dV dT increases from 2.6 to 2.8 mV/K. A physical model is suggested, which enables simulation of the I− V characteristics at different temperatures and current densities, with calculated I− V curves matching exactly the experimental data.