Design of silicon planar diodes for avalanche transit time oscillators

It is well recognized that a mesa diode, is ideal for avalanche transit time oscillator application, not only for achieving uniform avalanche breakdown, but also to reduce the dielectric losses associated with the device itself. Reliable operation of mesa diodes, however, requires packaging or hermetic sealing. There are certain applications where packaged devices are not suitable and the diodes need, to be operated in open ambient, such as in a microwave integrated circuit. For such applications, a passivated junction diode will be more desirable.