SELF-INDUCED PERSISTENT PHOTOCONDUCTIVITY IN RESONANT-TUNNELING DEVICES

We report on the observation of a novel effect in resonant tunneling d evices (RTD): a self-induced persistent photoconductivity (SIPPC). The SIPPC manifests itself as a permanent shift of the resonant peak posi tion to lower voltages, which is induced by the RTD itself and not by external sources. The SIPPC is due to the presence of DX centers in th e device, which are ionized by light generated in the device itself th rough the recombination of electron-hole pairs created by impact ioniz ation of hot electrons in the depletion layer of the device. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.