Effects of transverse doping variations on the transient response of silicon avalanche shaper devices

Two-dimensional (2-D) drift-diffusion simulations were performed to study the transient response of silicon avalanche shaper (SAS) devices that are used in high-power switching and pulse sharpening applications. The role of transverse doping variations on the transient device response has been studied. Our results clearly reveal a potential for filamentary current conduction. The filamentation, however, is shown to be strongly dependent on the transverse doping characteristics, and hence in principle, could he tailored.