A reappraisal of instabilities due to the transferred electron effect

Abstract

A numerical method for solving the Boltzmann equation for electrons in a semiconductor under spatially varying conditions has been used to investigate the characteristics of instabilities due to the transferred electron effect. For both accumulation layers and dipole domains the main features are in overall qualitative agreement with the predictions of existing theories, but in both cases electron relaxation effects are quantitatively significant in determining the velocities of the instabilities and their growth and decay characteristics.