Instrumentation and Measurement Physics(DIMP)
Physique des instruments et mesures (DPIM)
Yuri GUREVICH
CINVESTAV
The transport of nonequilibrium carriers in semiconductor structures (New point of view)
The role of nonequilibrium electrons and holes in linear and nonlinear transport is discussed. It is shown that the thermo-emf, electrical and thermal resistance in semiconductor structures depend on the rate of surface and bulk recombination of nonequilibrium carriers. The transition to the general case takes place only when the recombination rate is infinite.
It is shown that the well known concepts of life-time of nonequilibrium carriers contradict the Maxwel's equations. Life-times of nonequilibrium carriers can be correctly defined only at equality of nonequilibrium concentration of electrons and holes.The correct definition of recombination rates of nonequilibrium electrons and holes is discussed. In the general case, these recombination rates depend on external generation rates, effective electron, hole and phonon temperatures and on their spatial inhomogeneity.
The question about the formation of quasineutral packets of nonequilibrium carriers is studied.
New current boundary conditions at the border of two conducting media were formulated taking into account surface resistance and surface recombination.
The above stated questions are of great importance to design solid state electronic devices, to interpret experimental results of nonequilibrium charge carriers transport and for the measuring of kinetic characteristics of conducting media.