Comparison of a Rate-Equation Model With Experiment for the Resonant Tunneling Diode in the Scattering-Dominated Regime

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-15-1998

Identifier/URL

40218572 (Pure); 0032527159 (QABO)

Find this in a Library

Catalog Records

Abstract

A quasistatic rate-equation model for the resonant tunneling diode (RTD) is presented. In this model, the RTD is divided into three regions, each assumed in quasithermal equilibrium. The electron transfer between states in adjacent regions, assumed to be by elastic tunneling, is then proportional to the probability that the initial state is occupied and the final state is empty. Using this approach, we derive a small-signal equivalent circuit. The model parameters may be either calculated or measured in a fairly straightforward manner, as is demonstrated for an RTD. We find that the dc characteristic and ac behavior up to 4 GHz are modeled well; we also find that the measured and calculated parameters agree to approximately a factor of 2 except in the vicinity of the current valley. We show that this approach is accurate enough to provide insight into the operation of the device, yields results that are simple enough to be suitable for ac circuit simulation, and should be valid as long as the frequency of the small-signal excitation is much less than the scattering rate.

DOI

10.1063/1.368115

Link to Full Text

Catalog Record

Share

COinS