INTERBAND TUNNELING IN NONPARABOLIC SEMICONDUCTORS IN THE PRESENCE OFAN ELECTRIC-FIELD

An attempt is made to study the interband tunneling rate for small-gap semiconductors having Kane-type energy bands in the presence of an ex ternal electric field, taking InSb as an example for the purpose of nu merical computations. The experimentally obtained tunneling currents, which may not be limited by the factor 2, can be better explained by t his formulation. Thus, the present analysis is applicable for wider ra nger of electric fields and are more consistent with the experimental results than that previously proposed.