Temperature dependence of storage time in silicon p+-n-n+ switching diodes and reduction of harmonic distortion

Using the reverse-recovery technique, storage times in p+-n-n+ diodes have been measured as a function of temperature. In all cases the effective lifetime for injected charge increases with increasing temperature within the interval 0 to 180°C. This result was found to reduce second-harmonic distortion in p+-n-n+ switches by as much as 6 dB at 2.5 MHz.