IMPATT diode

An IMPATT diode (IMPact ionization Avalanche

Transit-Time diode) is a form of high-power
semiconductor diode used in high-frequency microwave
electronics devices. They have negative resistance and
are used as oscillators to generate microwaves as well
as ampliers. They operate at frequencies between
about 3 and 100 GHz or more. A main advantage is
their high-power capability. These diodes are used in a
variety of applications from low-power radar systems to
proximity alarms. A major drawback of using IMPATT
diodes is the high level of phase noise they generate.
This results from the statistical nature of the avalanche
process.

the coupled circuit, and also by varying the current in the

diode; this can be used for frequency modulation.

2 Principle of operation
If a free electron with sucient energy strikes a silicon
atom, it can break the covalent bond of silicon and liberate an electron from the covalent bond. If the electron
liberated gains energy by being in an electric eld and
liberates other electrons from other covalent bonds then
this process can cascade very quickly into a chain reaction
producing a large number of electrons and a large current
ow. This phenomenon is called impact avalanche.

At breakdown, the n region is punched through and

forms the avalanche region of the diode. The high resistivity region is the drift zone through which the avalanche
The IMPATT diode family includes many dierent generated electrons move toward the anode.
junctions and metal semiconductor devices. The rst IM- Consider a dc bias VB, just short of that required to cause
PATT oscillation was obtained from a simple silicon p- breakdown, applied to the diode. Let an AC voltage of
n junction diode biased into a reverse avalanche break suciently large magnitude be superimposed on the dc
down and mounted in a microwave cavity. Because of bias, such that during the positive cycle of the AC voltthe strong dependence of the ionization coecient on the age, the diode is driven deep into the avalanche breakelectric eld, most of the electronhole pairs are gener- down. At t=0, the AC voltage is zero, and only a small
ated in the high eld region. The generated electron im- pre-breakdown current ows through the diode. As t inmediately moves into the N region, while the generated creases, the voltage goes above the breakdown voltage
holes drift across the P region. The time required for the and secondary electron-hole pairs are produced by impact
hole to reach the contact constitutes the transit time delay. ionization. As long as the eld in the avalanche region is
The original proposal for a microwave device of the IM- maintained above the breakdown eld, the electron-hole
PATT type was made by Read. The Read diode consists concentration grows exponentially with t. Similarly this
of two regions (i) The Avalanche region (a region with concentration decays exponentially with time when the
relatively high doping and high eld) in which avalanche eld is reduced below breakdown voltage during the negmultiplication occurs and (ii) the drift region (a region ative swing of the AC voltage. The holes generated in the
with essentially intrinsic doping and constant eld) in avalanche region disappear in the p+ region and are colwhich the generated holes drift towards the contact. A lected by the cathode. The electrons are injected into the
similar device can be built with the conguration in which i zone where they drift toward the n+ region. Then, the
electrons generated from the avalanche multiplication eld in the avalanche region reaches its maximum value
and the population of the electron-hole pairs starts builddrift through the intrinsic region.
ing up. At this time, the ionization coecients have their
An IMPATT diode generally is mounted in a microwave maximum values. The generated electron concentration
package. The diode is mounted with its higheld re- does not follow the electric eld instantaneously because
gion close to a copper heatsink so that the heat generated it also depends on the number of electron-hole pairs alat the diode junction can be readily dissipated. Similar ready present in the avalanche region. Hence, the electron
microwave packages are used to house other microwave concentration at this point will have a small value. Even
devices.
after the eld has passed its maximum value, the electronThe IMPATT diode operates over a narrow frequency hole concentration continues to grow because the secband, and diode internal dimensions must correlate with ondary carrier generation rate still remains above its avthe desired operating frequency. An IMPATT oscilla- erage value. For this reason, the electron concentration in
tor can be tuned by adjusting the resonant frequency of the avalanche region attains its maximum value at, when

Device structure

the eld has dropped to its average value. Thus, it is clear

that the avalanche region introduces a 90 phase shift between the AC signal and the electron concentration in this
region.
With a further increase in t, the AC voltage becomes negative, and the eld in the avalanche region drops below its
critical value. The electrons in the avalanche region are
then injected into the drift zone which induces a current
in the external circuit which has a phase opposite to that
of the AC voltage. The AC eld, therefore, absorbs energy from the drifting electrons as they are decelerated
by the decreasing eld. It is clear that an ideal phase shift
between the diode current and the AC signal is achieved
if the thickness of the drift zone is such that the bunch of
electron is collected at the n+ - anode at the moment the
AC voltage goes to zero. This condition is achieved by
making the length of the drift region equal to the wavelength of the signal. This situation produces an additional
phase shift of 90 between the AC voltage and the diode
current.

Origins

In 1956 W.T. Read and Ralph L. Johnston of Bell Laboratories proposed that an avalanche diode that exhibited
signicant transit time delay might exhibit a negative resistance characteristic. The eect was soon demonstrated
in ordinary silicon diodes and by the late 1960s oscillators
at 340 GHz had been produced. Silicon IMPATT diodes
can produce up to 3 kilowatts of power continuously, with
higher power available in pulses. [1]

See also
Tunnel diode
Gunn diode

Further reading
D. Christiansen, C.K. Alexander, and R.K. Jurgen
(eds.) Standard Handbook of Electronic Engineering (5th edition). McGraw Hill. p. 11.107-11.110
(2005). ISBN 0-07-138421-9.
M. S. Gupta: Large-Signal Equivalent Circuit for
IMPATT-Diode Characterization and Its Application
to Ampliers. 689-694 (Nov 1973). Microwave
Theory and Techniques. IEEE Transactions Volume: 21. Issue: 11. ISSN 0018-9480
R. L. Jonston, B. C. DeLoach Jr., and B. G. Cohen:
A Silicon Diode Oscillator. Bell Systems Technical
Journal. 44, 369 (1965)

REFERENCES

H. Komizo, Y. Ito, H. Ashida, M. Shinoda: A 0.5-W

CW IMPATT diode amplier for high-capacity 11GHz FM radio-relay equipment. 14-20 (Feb 1973).
IEEE Journal Volume: 8. Issue: 1. ISSN 00189200
W. T . Read, Jr., A proposed high-frequency,
negative-resistance diode, Bell Systems Technical
Journal, vol.: 7, pp. 401446, March 1958.
S. M. Sze: Physics of Semiconductor Devices. second edition. John Wiley & Sons. 566-636 (1981).
ISBN 0-471-05661-8
M. S. Tyagi: Introduction to Semiconductor Materials and Devices. John Wiley & Sons. 311-320
(1991). ISBN 0-471-60560-3

6 References
[1] Thomas H. Lee Planar Microwave Engineering: A Practical Guide to Theory, Measurement, and Circuits Cambridge University Press 2004 ,ISBN 0521835267, pp. 296

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