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Anomalous capacitance of quantum well double-barrier diodes

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Abstract

The S-parameters of several different quantum well double barrier diodes have been measured. A technique has been developed for measuring whisker contacted diodes with and HP 8510B automatic network analyzer. Special coaxial mounts using K-connectors were designed to enable measurements up to 20 GHz. The voltage-dependent conductance and capacitance were derived from the measured reflection coefficient of each device. The C/V characteristics were observed to exhibit an anomalous increase at voltages corresponding the the negative differential resistance region (NDR). These are the first reported S-parameter measurements in the negative differential resistance region of quantum well double barrier diodes. A theory is presented that explains, in part, the observed results.

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Author notes

  1. Olga Borić

    Present address: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Av., 90024, Los Angeles, CA

  2. Timo J. Tolmunen

    Present address: Turku Institute of Technology, Sepankatu 1, 20700, Turku, Finland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, 91125, Pasadena, California

    Olga Borić

  2. Center for Space Microelectronics Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 91109, Pasadena, California

    Timo J. Tolmunen & Margaret A. Frerking

  3. Chalmers University of Technology, Göthenburg, Sweden

    Erik Kollberg

Authors
  1. Olga Borić
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  2. Timo J. Tolmunen
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  3. Erik Kollberg
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  4. Margaret A. Frerking
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Borić, O., Tolmunen, T.J., Kollberg, E. et al. Anomalous capacitance of quantum well double-barrier diodes. Int J Infrared Milli Waves 13, 799–814 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01011596

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01011596

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