On Measurements of the Electrons and Holes Impact-Ionization Coefficients in 4H–SiC

Abstract

All published results of measurements (at 300 K) of the impact ionization coefficients for electrons α_n and holes α_p in 4H–SiC are analyzed. It is shown that the most plausible approximations of dependences of α_{n, p} on electric-field strength E have the usual form α_{n, p} = a_{n, p} exp(–E_{n, p}/E) at fitting-parameter values of a_n = 38.6 × 106 cm^–1, E_n = 25.6 MV/cm, a_p = 5.31 × 106 cm^–1, and E_p = 13.1 MV/cm. These dependences α_{n, p}(E) are used to calculate the highest field strength E_b and thickness w_b of the space-charge region at the breakdown voltage U_b. A number of new formulas for calculating α_{n, p}(E) are obtained from the results of measuring the avalanche-multiplication coefficients and the excess-noise factors under the single-sided illumination of photodiodes with stepped doping.