Stationary semiconductor equations modeling avalanche generation (Q1917986)

From MaRDI portal





scientific article
Language Label Description Also known as
English
Stationary semiconductor equations modeling avalanche generation
scientific article

    Statements

    Stationary semiconductor equations modeling avalanche generation (English)
    0 references
    0 references
    0 references
    4 May 1997
    0 references
    The paper deals with a mixed boundary value problem for the system of elliptic equations modelling the semiconductor avalanche devices, where the generation of charged particles is controlled by avalanche due to impact ionization. The following system of PDEs for the electron and hole densities \(n\), \(p\) and the electrostatic potential \(\psi\) is considered \[ -\text{div }J_1= \alpha_1(\nabla\psi)|J_1|+ \alpha_2(\nabla\psi)|J_2|,\;-\text{div }J_2= \alpha_1(\nabla\psi)|J_1|+ \alpha_2(\nabla\psi)|J_2|,\tag{1} \] \[ -\Delta\psi= p-n+f,\tag{2} \] where \(J_1=D_1\nabla n-\mu_1n\nabla\psi\) is the conduction current density of electrons, \(J_2=-(D_2\nabla p+\mu_2 p\nabla\psi)\) is the conduction current density of holes. Here \(D_1\), \(D_2\) are the diffusion coefficients of electrons and holes, respectively, while \(\mu_1\), \(\mu_2\) are their mobility coefficients. These coefficients are generally field dependent, but in the present paper \(D_i\) and \(\mu_i\) are assumed to be positive constants \((i=1,2)\). System (1)--(2) is considered in a bounded domain \(\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^d\) (\(d=2\) when the semiconductor device may be regarded as an intrinsically two-dimensional structure, or \(d=3\) in the general case). The boundary of \(\Omega\), \(\partial\Omega\) is supposed to be Lipschitzian, \(\partial\Omega=\Gamma_0\cup\Gamma_1\), \(\Gamma_0\) open in \(\partial\Omega\). Then the boundary conditions on \(n\), \(p\) and \(\psi\) are as follows: \[ n=n_0,\;p=p_0,\;\psi=\psi_0\text{ on }\Gamma_0,\;J_1\cdot\nu= J_2\cdot\nu= \partial\psi/\partial\nu= 0\text{ on }\Gamma_1,\tag{3} \] where \(\nu\) denotes the unit outward normal along \(\partial\Omega\). The functions \(n_0\), \(p_0\), and \(\psi_0\) represent the prescribed boundary values of densities \(n\), \(p\) and the electrostatic potential \(\psi\) at the Ohmic contact \(\Gamma_0\). The authors' main result is the proof of the existence of a weak solution to (1)--(3).
    0 references
    0 references
    mixed boundary value problem
    0 references
    semiconductor avalanche devices
    0 references
    electron and hole densities
    0 references
    electrostatic potential
    0 references
    diffusion coefficients
    0 references
    mobility coefficients
    0 references

    Identifiers

    0 references
    0 references
    0 references
    0 references
    0 references
    0 references