Periodic and irregular spatio-temporal behaviour of current density filaments in Si p+−n+ −p−n− diodes

Abstract We present spatio-temporally resolved IR recombination radiation measurements in silicon p + -n + -p-n − diodes. Self-generated periodic voltage oscillations and period-doubling cascades are strongly correlated to spatial motions of a current filament. Chaotic time traces of the device voltage give clear indication of irregular spatio-temporal motions of current filaments.