Thermal breakdown in silicon p-n junction devices
- 1 November 1966
- journal article
- Published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices
- Vol. ED-13 (11) , 763-770
- https://doi.org/10.1109/t-ed.1966.15840
Abstract
Current constriction in a p-n junction under a thermal mode of breakdown is analyzed and expressions for terminal voltage and radius of constriction are derived for silicon devices. The values predicted by this model are of the same order as those observed for transistors under second breakdown; it is proposed that second breakdown in transistors is a thermal mode of breakdown which inevitably follows if energy dissipated in the avalanche mode of breakdown is large enough to increase the temperature of some portion of the junction to the intrinsic or turnover temperature of the junction.Keywords
This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit:
- Avalanche Effects in Silicon p—n Junctions. II. Structurally Perfect JunctionsJournal of Applied Physics, 1963
- Visible Light Emission and Microplasma Phenomena in Silicon p–n Junction, I.Journal of the Physics Society Japan, 1960
- Barrier Temperature at Turnover in Germanium p-n JunctionJournal of the Physics Society Japan, 1959
- A new high current mode of transistor operationIRE Transactions on Electron Devices, 1958