Date of Award
Spring 1961
Document Type
Thesis - Restricted
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Electrical and Computer Engineering
First Advisor
Horgan, James D.
Second Advisor
Mertz, Robert
Third Advisor
Ishii, Thomas K.
Abstract
It is the purpose of this thesis to give in detail a theory to describe the mechanism whereby negative incremental resistance is formed across the terminals of a reverse biased avalanching semiconductor p-n junction. It is necessary that three conditions must be met before a rectifying junction can exhibit this negative resistance. These are: 1) the electric field intensity in the depletion layer of the junction must reach some critical level to provide sufficient impact ionization to give an ever-growing free carrier concentration; 2) at this critical field level, the tunneling component of current (Zener current) must be negligible with respect to the avalanche component of current; and 3) some means for carrier injection into the high field region must be provided. In all of the experimental studies conducted, injection was accomplished through a phonon scattering mechanism, i.e., thermally generated carriers were injected into the high field region. In addition to the physical device studies, some applications of this new solid state device were considered. Most noteworthy of these is the one port, bidirectional amplifier which will be described in this thesis along with other useful circuitry.
Recommended Citation
Lade, Robert W., "The Theory and Application of Avalanche Diodes" (1961). Master's Theses (1922-2009) Access restricted to Marquette Campus. 4985.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/theses/4985