Temperature dependence of avalanche multiplication in submicron Al0.6Ga0.4As diodes

Photomultiplication measured in Al0.6Ga0.4As p+–i–n+ diodes falls with temperature in a manner that becomes less marked with decreasing i-region width and increasing electric field. Simple arguments relate this result to the effects of the ionization dead space, which is expected to depend weakly on temperature, and to the reduced scattering in the high electric fields present in thin avalanching structures. The temperature dependence of the “enabled” ionization coefficient can be approximately accounted for by simply subtracting the ballistic dead space from the width of the avalanche region. The simple arguments suggest the effect is independent of materials system.