A theory of transverse electron transport coupled with heat transfer in semiconductor thin films is developed, conceptually modeling structures of modern electronics. The transverse currents generate Joule heat with positive feedback through thermally activated conductivity. This can lead to instability known as thermal runaway, or hot spot, or reversible thermal breakdown. A theory here is based on the optimum fluctuation method modified to describe saddle stationary points determining the rate of such instabilities and conditions under which they evolve. Depending on the material and system parameters, the instabilities appear in a manner of phase transitions, similar to either nucleation or spinodal decomposition.

• Received 14 July 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.86.165317