Fine structure in the energy dependence of current density and oscillations in the current-voltage characteristics of tunnel junctions

1990 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 1705-1712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anatoly Grinberg ◽  
Serge Luryi
Keyword(s):  
Fine Structure ◽  
Energy Dependence ◽  
Current Density ◽  
Tunnel Junctions ◽  
Current Voltage ◽  
Current Voltage Characteristics

CURRENT–VOLTAGE MEASUREMENTS WITHIN THE NEGATIVE DIFFERENTIAL RESISTANCE REGION OF AlGaAs/AlGaAs TUNNEL JUNCTIONS FOR HIGH CONCENTRATION PHOTOVOLTAICS

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (04) ◽  
pp. 1240014 ◽  
Author(s):  
GITANJALI KOLHATKAR ◽  
JEFFREY F. WHEELDON ◽  
CHRISTOPHER E. VALDIVIA ◽  
ALEXANDRE W. WALKER ◽  
SIMON FAFARD ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Current Density ◽  
Negative Differential Resistance ◽  
Tunnel Junctions ◽  
Nonlinear Oscillations ◽  
Differential Resistance ◽  
Peak Current Density ◽  
Peak Current ◽  
Current Voltage ◽  
Current Voltage Characteristics

The current–voltage characteristics of AlGaAs/AlGaAs tunnel junctions for use in multi-junction solar cells are studied experimentally, where tunneling current peaks of 1100 A/cm2 and specific contact resistivities of 0.3 × 10-4Ω⋅cm2 at 7 A/cm2 (typical concentrated photovoltaic operating current) are measured. This represents an ideal tunnel junction design, with a very low resistance and one of the highest tunneling peak currents reported for solar cells. Normally, solar cell current–voltage characteristics are measured using time-averaged methods, which, in this study, reveal a tunneling peak current density of ~950 A/cm2. Due to nonlinear oscillations within the measurement circuit, the precise locations and magnitudes of the tunneling peak and valley current densities are obscured when using time-average measurement methods. Here we present an alternative method to determine the tunneling peak current density, in which the nonlinear oscillations in the current and voltage are recorded over time and a current density–voltage curve is reconstructed. This time-dependent method results in a measured tunneling peak current density of ~ 1100 A/cm2. The nonlinear oscillations of the experimental circuit are reproduced by modeling an equivalent circuit, resulting in qualitative agreement with the observed oscillations. This model predicts the capacitance and inductance of the equivalent circuit to be approximately 3 nF and 3.5 μH, respectively. This numerical model can be used to determine the inductance and the capacitance of any circuit having a negative differential resistance region.

scholarly journals Разработка и исследование туннельных p-i-n-диодов GaAs/AlGaAs для многопереходных преобразователей мощного лазерного излучения

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 285
Author(s):  
В.С. Калиновский ◽  
Е.В. Контрош ◽  
Г.В. Климко ◽  
С.В. Иванов ◽  
В.С. Юферев ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Current Density ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Short Circuit Current ◽  
Short Circuit Current Density ◽  
Tunnel Diode ◽  
Tunnel Diodes ◽  
Tunnel Current ◽  
Type Layer ◽  
Current Voltage ◽  
Current Voltage Characteristics

Fabrication of connecting tunnel diodes with high peak tunnel current density exceeding the short-circuit current density of photoactive p−n junctions is an important task in development of multi-junction III−V photovoltaic converters of high-power optical radiation. Based on the results of a numerical simulation of tunnel diode current−voltage characteristics, a method is suggested for raising the peak tunnel current density by connecting a thin undoped i-type layer with thickness of several nanometers between the degenerate layers of a tunnel diode. The method of molecular-beam epitaxy was used to grow p−i−n GaAs/Al0.2Ga0.8As structures of connecting tunnel diodes with peak tunnel current density of up to 200A/cm2 .

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