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Velocity saturation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In semiconductors, when a strong enough electric field is applied, the carrier velocity in the semiconductor reaches a maximum value.[1] When this happens, the semiconductor is said to be in a state of velocity saturation. As the applied electric field increases from that point, the carrier velocity no longer increases. This is a result of the increased scattering rate of electrons and consequent higher collision rate.[2]
When designing semiconductor circuits, especially on a sub-micron scale as used in modern microprocessors, velocity saturation is an important design characteristic. Velocity saturation greatly affects the voltage transfer characteristics of a circuit. If a semiconductor device enters velocity saturation, in increase in voltage applied to the device will not cause a linear increase in current as would be expected by Ohm's law. Instead, the current may only increase by a small amount, or not at all. It is possible to take advantage of this result when trying to design a device that will emit a constant current.
- ^ Velocity Saturation. Retrieved on October 23, 2006.
- ^ Advanced MOSFET issues. Retrieved on October 23, 2006.
