An examination of high-injection physics of silicon p-n junctions with applications in photocurrent modeling

Techniques for modeling radiation-induced junction photocurrents often rely on assumptions that require the device remain in low-level injection; however transient radiation events can induce high-level injection conditions. Due to a combination of physical accuracy and computational efficiency, analytical models are often preferred to empirical and numerical modeling techniques. A more thorough understanding of the physical response can help improve the efficacy of simple modeling techniques, e.g. equivalent circuit modeling. This work explores the fundamental physical response of a p-n junction as it approaches, and after it reaches high-level injection (HLI) conditions through analysis of TCAD simulations. From the TCAD simulations and experimentally obtained data, this physical response is presented as a simple equivalent circuit model that acts as a hybrid between numerical and empirical modeling methodologies.