InP Diodes - Transferred Electron Devices - Microwave Engineering | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

This video explains the basics of InP diodes, including their semiconductor compound structure and differences in energy levels compared to other diodes.

Key Insights

• 😒 InP diodes use indium phosphide as the semiconductor compound structure.
• 🎚️ The energy level structure of InP diodes consists of three levels: lower valley, middle valley, and upper valley.
• 💦 Increasing the applied electric field to InP diodes results in a threshold valley and a drop in conduction current density.
• 🔊 The peak to valley drop-down in InP diodes is higher than in gallium arsenide diodes.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What is the difference between InP diodes and other diodes in terms of energy levels?

InP diodes have three energy levels (lower valley, middle valley, and upper valley) compared to the two energy levels found in other diodes. This affects the coupling between the energy levels and the transfer of electrons.

Q: How does the applied electric field affect the operation of InP diodes?

Increasing the applied electric field to the bulk of the indium phosphide of n-type causes a threshold valley, after which oscillations occur. The drift velocity of electrons decreases, leading to a drop in conduction current density.

Q: How does the peak to valley drop-down in InP diodes compare to gallium arsenide diodes?

The peak to valley drop-down in InP diodes is relatively higher compared to gallium arsenide diodes. This means that the current density decreases more significantly in InP diodes.

Q: What are the modes of operation observed in InP diodes?

InP diodes have different modes of operation, depending on the frequency of oscillation and the thickness of the active layer. The domain region, middle region, and outer region have different velocity values for electron drift.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• InP diodes are part of the family of transferred electron devices and use the semiconductor compound structure of indium phosphide.

• These diodes have a different energy level structure compared to other diodes, with three energy levels instead of two.

• The oscillations and modes of operation of InP diodes are similar to other diodes, but with some differences due to the energy level structure.