HOLE IMPACT IONIZATION RATES IN INP AND IN0.53GA0.47AS

Threshold energies and rates for hole-initiated impact ionization are calculated as functions of energy and direction in k-space. The calcul ations are based on anisotropic band structure and wavefunctions deriv ed from four-band k.p theory with remote bands taken into account by p erturbation theory. It is found that in InP the transitions initiated by carriers in the split-off band are dominant, while for In0.53Ga0.47 As transitions initiated by light and heavy holes are also important. Simple algebraic expressions depending on energy and one direction par ameter have been developed to approximate the computed transition rate s so that these may be used in further calculations or simulations of transport involving hot carriers.