Theory of microplasma fluctuations and noise in silicon diode in avalanche breakdown

A theory that explains physically the mechanism of microplasma switching from nonconducting to conducting state (turn-on process) and from conducting to nonconducting state (turn-off process) is presented. This theory describes the microplasma phenomenon in avalanche breakdown, and it provides relations between the microplasma properties (size, current density, and turn-on-off mechanism), noise properties (amplitude and wave form), and semiconductor properties (impurity concentration, lifetime constants, and diffusion coefficients). By use of this theory, the current-fluctuation [McIntyre, IEEE Trans. Electron Devices ED-13, 164 (1966)] and probability-dependent [Haitz, J. Appl. Phys. 35, 1370 (1964)] theories can be combined, and a very attractive characterization tool for investigation of semiconductor junctions in breakdown is developed.