Diagnostics of PN Junction Electronic Devices by Means of Microplasma Noise Evaluation

Diagnostics of PN Junction Electronic Devices by Means of Microplasma Noise Evaluation

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In a semiconductor PN junction there are localized regions featuring increased concentration of donor or acceptor impurities or other defects, which cause the PN junction reverse breakdown voltage to be reduced. They can be displayed when picking up the reverse current waveforms at varying reverse voltage or by measuring the U-I characteristics of a PN junction powered from a constant current supply. Below the homogeneous breakdown region, the PN junction reverse current is, in principle, due to the local defect-assisted current conduction only. These areas are particularly critical for the application of high-power rectifier diodes, which are operated at very high reverse voltages continuously. The goal of the present method consists in completing both theoretical and experimental study of statistic and transport characteristics of selected PN junction semiconductor devices in their local instability regions (micro-plasma occurrence regions) and, based on this study, to design a methodology and an apparatus for noise diagnostics and assessment of quality and, possibly also, reliability of PN junctions in these devices. The proposed methodology is focused mainly on Si and AIIIBV materials (primarily GaAsP).

In a semiconductor PN junction there are localized regions featuring increased concentration of donor or acceptor impurities or other defects, which cause the PN junction reverse breakdown voltage to be reduced. They can be displayed when picking up the reverse current waveforms at varying reverse voltage or by measuring the U-I characteristics of a PN junction powered from a constant current supply. Below the homogeneous breakdown region, the PN junction reverse current is, in principle, due to the local defect-assisted current conduction only. These areas are particularly critical for the application of high-power rectifier diodes, which are operated at very high reverse voltages continuously. The goal of the present method consists in completing both theoretical and experimental study of statistic and transport characteristics of selected PN junction semiconductor devices in their local instability regions (micro-plasma occurrence regions) and, based on this study, to design a methodology and an apparatus for noise diagnostics and assessment of quality and, possibly also, reliability of PN junctions in these devices. The proposed methodology is focused mainly on Si and AIIIBV materials (primarily GaAsP).

microplasma noise, PN junction, avalanche breakdown

P. Koktavy, B. Koktavy

01.01.2005

České vysoké učení technické v Praze

Praha

80-01-03290-6

Proocedings of International Workshop Physical and Material Engineering 2005

63

6

http://hdl.handle.net/