Physical properties and analytical models of band-to-band tunneling in low-bandgap semiconductors

Journal Article · Tue Jan 28 04:00:00 EST 2014 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4862335· OSTI ID:22275675

Shih, Chun-Hsing; Dang Chien, Nguyen ^[1]

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1. Department of Electrical Engineering, National Chi Nan University, Nantou 54561, Taiwan (China)

Low-bandgap semiconductors, such as InAs and InSb, are widely considered to be ideal for use in tunnel field-effect transistors to ensure sufficient on-current boosting at low voltages. This work elucidates the physical and mathematical considerations of applying conventional band-to-band tunneling models in low-bandgap semiconductors, and presents a new analytical alternative for practical use. The high-bandgap tunneling generates most at maximum field region with shortest tunnel path, whereas the low-bandgap generations occur dispersedly because of narrow tunnel barrier. The local electrical field associated with tunneling-electron numbers dominates in low-bandgap materials. This work proposes decoupled electric-field terms in the pre-exponential factor and exponential function of generation-rate expressions. Without fitting, the analytical results and approximated forms exhibit great agreements with the sophisticated forms both in high- and low-bandgap semiconductors. Neither nonlocal nor local field is appropriate to be used in numerical simulations for predicting the tunneling generations in a variety of low- and high-bandgap semiconductors.

• OSTI ID: 22275675
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 115; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
APPROXIMATIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRONS
ENERGY GAP
FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS
INDIUM ANTIMONIDES
INDIUM ARSENIDES
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
TUNNEL EFFECT