Which mechanism limits silicon p-n junction diode reverse breakdown voltage at high doping concentrations?

💡 Explanation

With high doping, the depletion region becomes very narrow, enabling Zener tunneling because electrons can quantum tunnel directly from the valence band of the p-type region to the conduction band of the n-type region. Therefore Zener tunneling limits breakdown voltage, rather than avalanche ionization, diffusion length changes or surface effects which dominate at lower doping.

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