Snapback in diamond p-i-p structure containing a small amount of n-type impurity in the i-layer

Abstract We studied the snapback phenomenon observed in a diamond p-i-p structure in detail and investigated the effect of n-type impurity concentration in the i-layer. The snapback observed in the p-i-p structure was also observed in the p-i-p structures with a very small amount of n-type impurity contained in the i-layer and in the p-n-p structure. The voltage at which snapback occurred (threshold voltage) varied with the n-type impurity concentration in the i-layer. A higher n-type impurity concentration resulted in a higher threshold voltage. These findings indicate that n-type impurities are associated with the occurrence of snapback. Additionally, there is a correlation between the threshold voltage and the substrate temperature: as the substrate temperature increases, the threshold voltage decreases. Furthermore, a high n-type impurity concentration in the i-layer results in a low leakage current. These results suggest that snapback in a diamond p-i-p structure is induced by a small number of n-type impurities in the i-layer, along with parasitic bipolar operation caused by the high applied voltage and increased leakage current.