Photosensitive Impurity-Assisted Tunneling (Au, 77°K) IN GaAs Tunnel Diodes

N. Holonyak, Jr; D. L. Keune; R. D. Burnham; C. B. Duke

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.24.589

Photosensitive Impurity-Assisted Tunneling (Au, 77°K) IN GaAs Tunnel Diodes

N. Holonyak, Jr., D. L. Keune, R. D. Burnham, and C. B. Duke

Phys. Rev. Lett. 24, 589 – Published 16 March 1970

Abstract

A photostimulated channel for tunneling in GaAs tunnel diodes is described and identified with the presence of Au impurities on the $n$ side of the space-charge region. The mechanism for the impurity-assisted tunneling is identified with an inelastic excitation of the electronic states associated with the Au impurities.

Received 19 January 1970

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.24.589

Authors & Affiliations

N. Holonyak, Jr., D. L. Keune, and R. D. Burnham

Department of Electrical Engineering and Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801

C. B. Duke

Department of Physics, Materials Research Laboratory, and Coordinated Science Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801