| The objective of this research has been the study of the transport properties and breakdown characteristics of wide band gap semiconductor materials and their implications on device performance. Though the wide band gap semiconductors have great potential for a host of device applications, many gaps remain in the collective understanding about their properties, frustrating the evaluation of devices made from these materials.; The model chosen for this study is based on semiclassical transport theory as described by the Boltzmann Transport Equation. The calculations are performed using an ensemble Monte Carlo simulation method. The simulator includes realistic, numerical energy band structures derived from an empirical pseudo-potential method. The carrier-phonon scattering rates and impact ionization transition rates are numerically evaluated from the electronic band structure. Several materials systems are discussed and compared. The temperature-dependent, high-field transport properties of electrons in gallium arsenide, zincblende gallium nitride, and cubic-phase silicon carbide are compared.; Since hole transport is important in certain devices, the simulator is designed to simulate electrons and holes simultaneously. The bipolar simulator is demonstrated in the study of the multiplication region of gallium nitride avalanche photodiodes. |
