Effects of inelastic interaction of the non-equilibrium electrons with the neutral impurities on the non-ohmic characteristics of a compensated semiconductor compound at low lattice temperatures

摘要

Low lattice temperature has some distinct features which are hardly observed at high temperatures. These features significantly change the electron transport characteristics of a semiconductor. The inelasticity of the collision of non-equilibrium electrons with the neutral impurities is one of such features. The effects of this inelasticity on the average rate of loss of energy of such an electron have been studied here for a non-degenerate and compensated semiconductor compound, adopting the well-known standard method. The results for the electric field dependence of the effective temperature of the electrons have also been obtained here from the solution of the energy balance equation of the electron-lattice system. The numerical data for InSb, InAs and GaSb, which follow from the present analysis, reveal that the effects are significant. The results are seen to be in satisfactory agreement with the experimental observations.