Noise Signatures of the Stress-Induced Breakdown Phenomena in GaAs/AlGaAs Heterostructure

Abstract

This experiment provides the noise characteristics of the leakage current in the breakdown phenomena in n-type GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures. We performed low-frequency noise measurements and monitored random telegraph signals (RTSs). The low-frequency noise spectra show a bulge; which is attributed to the generation-recombination noise caused by trapping and de-trapping of carriers through traps or impurities in the GaAs heterostructure. The RTS demonstrates switching events between two resistance states caused by defect or impurity configurations. We studied the relation of the trap density and the carrier lifetime to the generation-recombination noise obtained from the low-frequency noise measurements. From these measurements we were able to gain insights into the breakdown due to defects in the GaAs heterostructure.