On Negative Differential Resistance and Spontaneous Dissipative Structure Formation in the Electric Break-Down of p-Ge at Low Temperatures

Experimental evidence on self-generated electrical structures in space and time is given for the electric breakdown of p-germanium at low temperatures. The existence of NDR in the breakdown region is shown. By means of scanning electron microscopy current filaments are visualized. Spontaneous temporal oscillations are discussed also on the background of nonlinear dynamics and chaos.