Band Structure and High-Field Transport Properties of InP

Using the technique of energy-distribution analysis of photoemitted electrons, we have accurately located the position of several band-structure features of InP, including the next higher conduction-band minimum above the ${\Gamma }_1$ minimum at 1.95 eV above the valence-band maximum, independent of temperature. This minimum is tentatively associated with the $L_1$ symmetry point. High-temperature Hall-effect measurements confirm that there are no minima between the lowest two observed by photoemission. A band structure for InP has been computed using these new data in an empirically adjusted first-principles orthogonalized-plane-wave (OPW) calculation. The velocity-field characteristic has been calculated for a range of lattice temperatures. A negative differential mobility is predicted, with a room-temperature threshold field of 11 500 V/cm and a peak drift velocity of 3×${10}^7$ cm/sec.