Hot-electron-induced minority carrier generation in bipolar junction transistors

The authors report the observation and analysis of minority carrier generation in the collector and the substrate of n-p-n bipolar junction transistors as a result of photons which are generated in the collector-base depletion region. Both the substrate current and the additional leakage current in an adjacent n/sup +/-p junction peak at V/sub BE/ approximately=0.8 V. In the authors´ model of the phenomena, the photons induce carriers both in the depletion region and in the neutral region. The generated minority carriers in the neutral region diffuse and contribute to the substrate current and the junction leakage current.<>