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Hot Electron Transport

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Book cover Semiconductor Modeling Techniques

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Materials Science ((SSMATERIALS,volume 159))

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Abstract

In a high electric field, a population of electrons may be driven out of thermal equilibrium with the crystal lattice, hence becoming ‘hot’. In this chapter, the basic concepts of hot electron transport in semiconductors are introduced following a semiclassical approach. Scattering mechanisms pertinent to hot electron transport are described, including phonon, electron–electron and alloy scattering. The high-field phenomena of avalanche breakdown and negative differential resistance are discussed qualitatively in terms of the underlying physics and as a motivation for device applications. Techniques to solve the Boltzmann transport equation are then introduced. A low-field solution, including an introduction to the ladder method for dealing with polar optical phonon scattering, is first discussed as a foundation for the subsequent high-field solution.

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Acknowledgments

The author thanks Masoud Seifikar for useful discussions on the high-field solution of the Boltzmann equation. The author’s current position at the Tyndall National Institute is funded by the Science Foundation Ireland.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tyndall National Institute, Cork, Ireland

    Martin P. Vaughan

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  1. Martin P. Vaughan
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Correspondence to Martin P. Vaughan .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , School of Computer Science and, University of Essex, Essex, CO4 3SQ, Montserrat

    Naci Balkan

  2. , Département de physique, Inst National des Sciences Appliquées, avenue de Rangueil 135, Toulouse cedex, 31077, France

    Marie Xavier

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Vaughan, M.P. (2012). Hot Electron Transport. In: Balkan, N., Xavier, M. (eds) Semiconductor Modeling Techniques. Springer Series in Materials Science, vol 159. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27512-8_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27512-8_4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-27511-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27512-8

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