Impact ionization in narrow gap semiconductors

Abstract

The impact ionization generation rate in the narrow gap semiconductors InSb and InAs is calculated by a Monte Carlo procedure. The impact ionizing collision is treated as an additional scattering mechanism in calculating the transport parameters. Electron–electron scattering is included directly in addition to ionized impurity and polar optical phonon scattering. The results are compared with experimental data obtained for InSb and InAs of carrier concentrations in the range 1014 to 1016 cm−3. Agreement between theory and experiment is good with discrepancies being interpreted in terms of exact band non-parabolicities and further carrier–carrier interactions.