High-Field Transport in the Three-Valley Conduction Band of Gallium Antimonide

The $j-E$ characteristics of Te-doped GaSb have been measured up to a field strength of 18 kV/cm at 300°K and up to 7.5 kV/cm at 77°K. Results for the longitudinal magnetoresistance and the Hall constant at 300 and 77°K up to a field strength of about 7 kV/cm are given. Avalanche breakdown was observed at a field strength above 7 kV/cm, and the electron-hole pair generation rate at 300°K was determined. Calculations based on a three-band model are compared with the measurements. For high-field strengths the influence of the highest $X_1$ minimum has to be taken into account to obtain agreement between experimental and calculated results. Attempts have been made at an experimental realization of the negative differential resistance (NDR) predicated by Zaitsev and Zvezdin due to virtual states below the $L_1$ minimum. The effect, although observable, has been found to be not sufficient to produce NDR.