Ballistic peaks in the distribution function from intervalley transfer in a submicron structure

Abstract

Using Monte Carlo simulation, we show that ballistic electrons coupled with intervalley scattering produce peaks in the distribution function of electrons in submicron structures. The distribution functions f(v,x) and f(ε,x) for a submicron N+-N−-N+ GaAs structure indicate that ballistic electrons cause both the dominant peak in f(v,x) throughout the N− region and additional peaks in f(ε,x) following transfer from the L valley to the Γ valley. For low densities and low temperatures (T=77), both ballistic peaks in f(ε,x) split into several sharp peaks separated in energy by the optic-phonon energy.