Transient breakdown behavior in electron-irradiated and proton-irradiated silicon p-n junctions

We studied the turn-off transient behavior of electron- and proton-irradiat ed silicon p-n junction diodes. Electron-irradiated n(+)-p diodes showed tr ansient current peaks at lower reverse voltages. When the forward current w as increased, the height and the number of the peaks increased, and at each peak the diode voltage showed a sharp decrease. We explain that the increa sed ionization coefficients by the electron irradiation caused the current peak to appear during the turn-off transients. p(+)-n diodes irradiated und er the same condition did not show the large peak. This suggests that only the defects in the p-type silicon are responsible for the current peaks. (C ) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)04007-9].