Analysis of a Tunnel Diode

抄録

Starting from an equation of internal emission current, a phenomenological analysis of Esaki effect was made by the introduction of a concept of the availability of empty states in a band to which an electron tunnels. An assumption in the calculation of a tunneling current may not be valid at very low temperatures. Agreement with experiments was found on the tunneling current densities of both Ge and GaAs p–n junctions and the temperature and the bias dependences of the tunneling current. The investigation of the excess current indicated that a thermally activated process might exist.