Anomalous Transient Current in Nonuniform Semiconductors

Abstract

Nonequilibrium processes in semiconductors are considered with highly nonuniform initial densities of charge carriers. It is shown that there exist such distributions of charge densities under which the electric current through a sample displays quite abnormal behaviour flowing against the applied voltage. The appearance of this negative electric current is a transient phenomenon occurring at the initial stage of the process. After this anomalous negative fluctuation, the electric current becomes normal, i.e. positive as soon as the charge density becomes more uniform. Several possibilities for the practical usage of this effect are suggested.