Mh. Somerville et al., DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN IMPACT IONIZATION AND THE KINK EFFECT IN INALAS INGAAS HEMTS/, IEEE electron device letters, 17(10), 1996, pp. 473-475
We present new, unmistakable experimental evidence directly linking th
e kink effect with impact ionization in the channel of InAlAs/InGaAs H
EMT's on InP. Through the use of a sidegate structure, we confirm that
the impact ionization coefficient obeys the classic exponential depen
dence on the inverse electric field at the drain end of the gate, and
that the onset of the kink strongly coincides with the onset of impact
ionization in the devices we consider. These measurements illuminate
the functional relationship between the kink and impact ionization, an
d therefore will allow assessment of the numerous impact-ionization re
lated kink mechanisms that have recently been suggested in the literat
ure.