Noise features in InP semiconductors operating under static or sub-Terahertz electric fields

Abstract

The sensitivity of semiconductor based circuits is strongly affected by the presence of intrinsic noise, which limits the performance of electronic devices. For this reason, several studies have investigated and characterized the transport properties of hot-electrons in semiconductor structures, by analyzing the electronic noise in systems operating under static and/or large-signal periodic driving conditions. Previous studies on electron velocity fluctuations in III-V and covalent semiconductor crystals, driven by periodic electric fields, have shown that the total noise power depends on both the amplitude and the frequency of the excitation signals. On the other hand, to the best of our knowledge, very little has been done in the study of the noise characteristics in InP structures operating under high-frequency periodic conditions. In this contribution, we study the hot-carrier noise in n-type InP crystals operating under static or cyclostationary electric fields. In order to simulate the dynamics of electrons inside the material at kinetic level, we employ a Monte Carlo approach. It allows us to take into account the main details of the band structure, scattering processes as well as heating effects. Electronic intrinsic noise is investigated by computing the correlation function of velocity fluctuations, the spectral density and the total noise power.