SPATIAL INTEGRATION OF DIRECT BAND-TO-BAND TUNNELING CURRENTS IN GENERAL DEVICE STRUCTURES

A new simplified integration technique for direct band-to-band tunneling current calculation in semiconductor devices of 1- or 2-D general device structures is described. The integration, along part of the depletion region, is of a tunneling generation function which depend on the local electric field. The simplified integration scheme relies on Kane's parabolic shaped gap barrier which accurately applies to narrow-bandgap semi-conductors as InSb and Hg1-xCdxTe. Tunneling current and zero bias resistance calculations in 1-D Hg1-xCdxTe p-n junctions using the proposed technique are presented. The extension of the technique to 2-D potential structures is demonstrated by modeling peripheral surface tunneling currents. The results compare well with measured reverse breakdown currents of InSb gate-controlled diodes.