Mechanisms leading to erratic snapback behavior in bipolar junction transistors with base emitter shorted

Abstract

Articles you may be interested inA novel way to improve the quantum efficiency of silicon light-emitting diode in a standard silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology This paper discusses two different modes of breakdown in the reverse-biased I-V characteristics observed generically in bipolar junction transistors ͑BJTs͒ with the base emitter shorted, showing an erratic behavior, in the presence of large displacement currents. Experimental observations related to reverse-biased collector junctions of BJTs, that exhibit two different states of breakdown when a fast voltage ramp is applied are presented. Numerical simulations of the transient behavior of avalanche injection in p / n − / n + structures show that two very close breakdown states coexist. The mechanisms leading to the erratic behavior of the second breakdown are discussed. The jittery nature of the breakdown is attributed to the delay associated with the buildup of the electric field across the n − / n + junction.

Switching Mechanisms Triggered by a Collector Voltage Ramp in Avalanche Transistors With Short-Connected Base and Emitter

“…Our experimental and simulation results contradict the interpretation suggested in [5] and [6], which assumes a TRAPATT-like zone at the beginning of the transient similar to that reported for the SAS regime in an n 0 layer (see [17]- [19] and references therein) and a diodelike breakdown with double avalanche injection at the end of the transient [with an electric field profile similar to that shown by curve 3 in Fig. 3(a)].…”

“…At the first glance, we are dealing here with a diode rather than a transistor, but in that case, one should expect a higher residual voltage than is observed in experiments (for details, see the following). The problem of avalanche switching when the emitter and the base are shortened has already been formulated, and attempts to resolve it have been undertaken earlier [5], [6], while in our opinion, the question remains open and has thus become the subject of this paper (the reasoning for this claim will be given later, after we show that reduced residual voltage is due to electron injection from the emitter, and that this injection is possible also for shortened emitter and base, but 1-D approach used in [6] is unable to interpret this regime). Triggering of fast switching transient in the transistor structure by application of high dV /dt ramp to the collector was considered already in 1980 (see [7] and references therein) aiming at longer recovery of subnanosecond switch based on transistor with respect to that based on the diode.…”

Heat management technology for solid‐state high voltage and high repetitive pulse generators: Towards better effects and reliability

“…The heat source is thermally isolated, resulting in significant heat accumulation [58,59]. As a result, during a single switching period in the nanosecond range, the temperature of the crucial switch components' hot zone could rise to several hundred kelvins and then drop to room temperature after several microseconds [60,61]. However, the time interval between pulses will get shorter as the repetition rate increases, and the temperature will ultimately exceed a certain thermal destruction threshold.…”