About cookies on this site Our websites require some cookies to function properly (required). In addition, other cookies may be used with your consent to analyze site usage, improve the user experience and for advertising. For more information, please review your options. By visiting our website, you agree to our processing of information as described in IBM’sprivacy statement. To provide a smooth navigation, your cookie preferences will be shared across the IBM web domains listed here.
Publication
Applied Physics Letters
Paper
Impact ionization in silicon
Abstract
The electron dynamics for electron energies up to 5 eV has been studied by soft x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Monte Carlo simulations have been performed to derive the energy dependence of the pair-production rate using these results in combination with published data on the ionization coefficient and on the quantum yield for pair production. The obtained ionization rate shows a very soft threshold at 1.2 eV, approaching the results by Kane [Phys. Rev. 159, 624 (1967)] at higher energies. Several published models have been found to be inconsistent with the full set of experimental data we have considered.