Nonlinear current–voltage characteristics and recombination current instability in p‐Ge(Au)

Abstract Results of an experimental study of short and long p‐Ge(Au) samples are presented and compared qualitatively with data furnished by the one‐dimensional theoretical model describing the evolution of domain instability in a two‐parametric space “voltage V–emission coefficient β”. According to the theory, single, double‐ and multi‐subdomain states and order–disorder–order transitions via intermittency have been observed in the system with increasing voltage. Three operation regimes of the system are found, depending on the region of the parametric space: ohmic, quenched (pulsing) and transit‐time. In short samples a second portion with S‐switching is revealed in the current–voltage characteristic. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)