Computational Large-Signal Analysis of P-Type Low-High-Low InP IMPATT Diodes

El-Sayed A. El-Badawy
Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. Email: sbadawvC4hotmail.com. Senior Member IEEE, Member o the OSA.. f

Said H. Ibrahim
Faculty of Computer Science and Information, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt placed in a high-Q cavity supporting a sinusoidal signal of amplitude (P).

Abstract: Due to its superiority, regarding the velocityfield characteristic, the performance of n-type InP IMPATT diodes has been extensively studied. On the other hand, the performance of the p-type IMPATT diodes is not sufficiently studied. The investigation of p-type IMPATT diodes is necessary for the design and optimization of LowHigh-Low InP IMPATT diodes and for the optimum design of the microwave circuit where the IMPATT diode is embedded. This paper presents the results of a detailed computational study of p-type InP IMPATT diodes. These results are obtained using our computer-simulation program that takes fully into account the non-linearities and all the physical effects pertinent to the IMPATT diode operation. Some important conclusions concerning the effect of the peak value of the microwave signal on the operation and ,performance of IMPATT diodes are drawn out.
1

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

2.1 Effect of the R F Voltage Peak on the Diode Performance. The results obtained for the effects of the RF voltage peak (P) on the diode performance are given in Figures 1 through 7. Figures 1 ana 2 show, respectively, the efficiency (q), and the RF power (PW) at different values of P. It is seen that q and PRFare increased with the increase of P. This is attributed to the reduction of the space charge effect (SCE), reduction of the minority carrier enhancement effects, and the reduction of the back bias effect. There is an optimum value of P where q and PW have their maximum values. This optimum value is about 56V for the given structure. It is seen that there is no sharp increase of q. This means that the IMPATT is operated according the conventional IMPATT mode of operation [l-4 1. At P greater than 56 V, q and PRFare decreased. In order to get a better insight into these results, it is necessary to investigate the dynamics of the charge carriers within the diode and their interaction with the electric field. It is also necessary to study the resultant induced current waveforms and the spatial distributions of the hole current and the electric field over the structure for different values of P. Figure 3 shows the induced current (Ji) and the terminal voltage (V,) at diffefent values of P. Figures 4 through 7 show the spatial distribution of the avalanche generated pulse (AGP); hole cufrent (Jp) ; and the electric field (E) at different phase angles during the RF cycle and for different values of P. By considering these figures, the large-signal operation of the p-type Low-High:Low InP IMPATT can be explained as follows: At the beginning of the cycle Ji decreases as the trailing edge of the AGP of holes of the previous cycle is being extracted at the right end of the drift region (DR). As P increases, this extraction becomes more efficient and Ji drops to smaller values. This helps improve the performance through redking the effective saturation current and increasing the phase delay provided by the avalanche process. As the RF voltage increases during the positive half-cycle, E increases inside the diode and the avalanche generation causes Ji to increase. This increase becomes sharper as P

INTRODUCTION

Whereas the performance of n-type InP IMPATT diodes is extensively studied, the performance of the p-type one is not sufficiently studied [l-41. This is attributed mainly to the superiority of the velocity-field characteristic of n-type InP IMPATT [5-91. However, the investigation of p-type IMPATT diodes is necessary for the design and optimization of Low-High-Low InP IMPATT diodes and for the optimum design of the microwave circuit where the IMPATT diode is embedded. This paper presents the results of a detailed study of P-type InP IMPATTs. Theses results are obtained using a modified version of our fullscale computer-simulation program described elsewhere [ 141. This program takes fully into account the nonlinearities and all the physical effects pertinent to the IMPATT operation. The structure studied has a Low-High-Low structure with the following parameters: The width of the avalanche region w, = 0.4 pm The width of the drift region (DR) wd = 3.5 pm The doping density in the avalanche region n, = 10 cm- The doping density in the drift region nd = 3 x 10 cm-3 The size of the doping clump = 2 . 2 ~ cm-2 10 The doping density in the ohmic contact n and p* = 2 x 11 ~ m - ~ . 07 The diode is operating at a dc bias current of 15000 Aim, and a frequency of 9 GHz. The diode is assumed to be

0-7803-6355-WOO/ $10.00 Q 2000 IEEE

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As the RF voltage increases during the positive half-cycle, E increases inside the diode and the avalanche generation causes Ji to increase. This increase becomes sharper as P increases. This is because the ionization rates are very sensitive to the field variation. As shown in figures, it is seen that the hump of Ji becomes sharper and higher as P increases. This indicates that the AGP becomes more localized in both space and time when P is increased. The increase of the localization of AGP is attributed to the reduction of the saturation current, the reduction of SCE, and the reduction of the carrier generation in the DR, when P is increased. The reduction of all these effects helps improve the waveform Ji and hence improves the performance through increasing PW and q. The decrease of Ji after attaining its peak value is attributed to the extraction of the minority carriers (the electron) at the n+ contact. The AGP of holes is injected into the DR and if P is small, this pulse is sufficiently wide that its extraction starts early causing Ji to decrease. As the AGP drifts in the DR, it is dispersed by the effect of the diffusion. The dip in Ji curve near the phase angle (0) 270 is = attributed mainly to the drift velocity dropping bellow saturation (DVDBS) effect. For further increase in P above 56 V; P= 60 V; the effect of the depletion layer width modulation (DLWM) will be considered and causes a dip in Ji. At P > 65 V the DLWM will be more significant and causes a large dip in Ji, where the E is negative
2.2

significant. Hence the phase delay provided by the avalanche generation process is increased and the performance is improved. During the negative half-cycle, the carrier generation in the DR becomes less significant as P is increased. There is an optimum value of P at which the effkiency and the RF power attain maximum values. As P increases above the optimum value, DVDBS becomes more significant, and the performance is degraded. As P is excessively increased, the DLWM will deteriorate the performance significantly. It is concluded also that the magnitude of the negative diode conductance and the breakdown voltage decrease with P, and the diode suscepwce increases with P. REFERENCES
1.

El-Sayed A. El-Badawy, S. H. Ibrahim, and H. A. El-Motaafy, Effect of the Variation of the Doping Densities on the Performance of High Efficiency LHL InP IMPATT Diodes, 1997, IEEE AP-S International Symposium and URSI North American Radio Science Meeting, Montreal, Canada, July 15-1 8,1997 H. El-Motaafy, El-Sayed A. Badawy, and S. H Ibrahim, Analysis of Low-High-Low InP IMPATT Reflection Amplifiers, ANTEM98, Symposium on Antenna and applied electromagnetic, Aug. 1998, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

2.

Effect of R F Voltage Peak on the Diode Admittance and Breakdown Voltage:

Figures 8 through 10 shows the diode conductance (GI,), the diode susceptance (B,) and the breakdown voltage (VB), versus P. Its seen in Figures 8 and 9 that the magnitude of the negative conductance decreases and the magnitude of diode susceptance increases with P. This is because at constant dc current, the avalanche pulse of fixed charge forces a fixed amplitude for the fundamental of Ji. This means that as P increases, the induced current electronic conductance must with P assures a stable decrease. The decrease of GI, oscillator operation. It is seen; in figure 10; that VB decreases with P. This effect is caused by the nonlinearly of the device and is explained as follows: As P increases, the E in the avalanche region attains higher values during the portion of the cycle at which the significant avalanche generation occurs. Hence, greater amount of charge carriers would be generated. Nevertheless, the total amount of charge is a constant imposed by the dc bias current. Hence, the dc component of the E and, correspondingly, the dc voltage should decrease as P is increased to maintain a constant current under breakdown conditions.
3.
CONCLUSIONS

3. S . H. Ibrahim, El-S. A. El-Badawy, and H. A. ElMotaafy, Effect of the Operating Conditions on the Performance of High Efficiency InP IMPATT Diodes, Intl Wireless Telecommunications Symposium / Exhibition, May 14-16, 1997 Shah Alam, Malaysia.
4.

S. H. Ibrahim, El-Sayed A. El-Badawy, and H. A. El-Motaafy, Effect of the Operating Condition on the Performance of LOW-High-Low P-Type GaAs IMPATT Diode, 4the International Wireless and Telecommunications Symposium (I WTS2000), May 15-19, Shah Alam, Malaysia.

5.

P. Bauhahn and G. I. Haddad, IMPATT Device Simulation and Properties, IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, vol. ED-24, Jan., 1977.

6.

K. Mouthan, Two Frequency Operation of the Avalanche-Transit-Time Oscillators, Proc. IEEE(Lett.), vol. 58, March, 1970.

7. W. E. Schroeder and G. I. Haddad, Effect of Harmonic and Subharmonic Signals on Avalanche Diode Oscillator Performance, IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech., vol.MTT-18, June, 1970.
8. Robert E. Collin, Foundations pf Microwave Engineering, 2/e, McGraw-Hill, 1992.

The following conclusions concerning the effects of the RF voltage amplitude on the diode performance are drawn out. As P is increased, the AGP of holes becomes shaper both in the time and in space, and the SCE becomes less

9. J.Anaslassiades et al, Solid-state Microwaye Generators, Chapman & Hall, 1992.

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Fig. 3.a The induced current (J,) versus the phase angle at the peak voltage (P) = 40 V. P=45V

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