Estimation of Impact Ionization Coefficient in GaN by Photomulitiplication Measurement Utilizing Franz-Keldysh Effect

A valanche multiplication characteristics in GaN p-n junction diodes (PNDs) under high reverse bias conditions were investigated. The GaN-on-GaN PNDs with double-side-depleted shallow bevel termination, which showed low reverse leakage current and excellent avalanche capability, were used for the measurements. Under sub-bandgap light illumination, the photocurrents induced by Franz-Keldysh (FK) effect, which can be well reproduced by the theoretical calculations of the optical absorption, and their avalanche multiplications were observed. The multiplication factors were extracted as the ratios of the experimental photocurrents to the calculated FK-induced photocurrent. Under an assumption of equal impact ionization coefficients of electrons and holes, the electric-field dependence of an impact ionization coefficient in GaN were estimated.