Breakdown behavior of rectifiers and thyristors made from striation-free silicon

Taking advantage of the nuclear reaction³⁰Si(n,γ)³¹Si^β-→³¹P, silicon was doped with phosphorus. The resistivity was set to values between 2 and 200 Ω.cm. The measured resistivity profiles show the macroscopically homogeneous distribution of the dopant. Photographs of the breakdown radiation emitted from diodes show that the silicon is also free from striation-like microvariations of the resistivity. The diodes and thyristors prepared from the homogeneously doped silicon had blocking capabilities between 400 and 5200 V.