Experimental study of hot electron inelastic scattering rate in p-type InGaAs

The inelastic scattering rates of electrically injected minority hot electrons measured using a continuous-wave spatially resolved electroluminescence spectroscopy are reported. To our knowledge, this constitutes direct experimental determination of this parameter related to the individual inelastic interactions. The evolution of the electron relaxation rate with increasing majority hole density is explored. Remarkably, an attenuation of the scattering rate is measured for p-doping levels higher than $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{19} {\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}.$ Additionally, the measured hot-electron energy distributions further indicate that the relaxation mechanisms are dominated by LO phonon-plasmons coupled modes in the range ${10}^{18}$ to ${10}^{19} {\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ hole density. Finally, the temperature dependence of inelastic scattering rate is also measured to learn on the potential implication of ballistic transport in RT operating hot-electron devices.