Measurement of the electron drift velocity in avalanching GaAs diodes

The scattering-limited drift velocity v
sn
of electrons in an avalanching GaAs diode is estimated by measuring the space-charge resistance. The result shows a lower value of v
sn
(5.7 ± 0.3) × 10
⁶
cm/s than the generally accepted value 8 × 10
⁶
cm/s at room temperature. The temperature dependence of v
sn
is also measured.