Avalanche injection instability and low break down voltage in multilayer structures

It is shown for the first time that, in n-i-n structures under certain conditions, instability with an S-type I-V curve connected with avalanche ionization leads to current pinching, and, finally, local destruction of the structures. The threshold voltage characteristic to the instability has, as a rule, a much less unstable condition than U₀. The instability threshold voltage is, as a rule, much less than the breakdown voltage of both the dielectric of the same thickness and the expected breakdown of the n-i-n structure.