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Meatal Semiconductor

The document discusses metal-semiconductor contacts, which can be either rectifying or ohmic. Rectifying contacts, known as Schottky barrier diodes, form when the metal work function is greater than the semiconductor work function. This creates a barrier for electrons flowing from semiconductor to metal. Under forward bias, the barrier is reduced, allowing current to flow. Under reverse bias, the barrier increases, limiting current. The height of the Schottky barrier and built-in potential are calculated based on material properties. Current in the diode follows an exponential relationship with voltage determined by thermionic emission over the barrier.

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40 views6 pages

Meatal Semiconductor

The document discusses metal-semiconductor contacts, which can be either rectifying or ohmic. Rectifying contacts, known as Schottky barrier diodes, form when the metal work function is greater than the semiconductor work function. This creates a barrier for electrons flowing from semiconductor to metal. Under forward bias, the barrier is reduced, allowing current to flow. Under reverse bias, the barrier increases, limiting current. The height of the Schottky barrier and built-in potential are calculated based on material properties. Current in the diode follows an exponential relationship with voltage determined by thermionic emission over the barrier.

Uploaded by

adam Alhusseni
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Electronic Physics Dr.

Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

Metal-Semiconductor Contact
There are two types of metal-semiconductor contact:
1. Metal-semiconductor rectifying contact
2. Metal-semiconductor ohmic contact

Metal-semiconductor rectifying contact (Schottky barrier diode)


Metal-semiconductor rectifying contact or Schottky barrier diode. In most
cases the rectifying contacts are made on n-type semiconductor. The
parameter ΦM is the work function of the metal (measured in volts), Φs is
the work function of the semiconductor, and χ is the electron affinity. The
work functions of various metals are given in Table.14.1 and the electron
affinities of several semiconductors are given in Table.14.2. for Schottky
contact ΦM > Φs.

Fig. 14.1 Energy-band diagram of a metal and

semiconductor before contact;

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Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

Table 14.1 Work functions of some elements

Table 14.2 Electron affinity of some semiconductors

The ideal thermal equilibrium metal-semiconductor energy band diagram,


for this situation is shown in the figure. Before contact, the Fermi level in
the semiconductor was above that in the metal. In order the Fermi level to
becomes a constant through the system in thermal equilibrium, electrons
from the semiconductor flow into lower energy state in the metal.
Positively charged donor atoms remain in the semiconductor, creating a
space charge region.
The parameter B is the ideal barrier height of the semiconductor contact,
the potential barrier seen by electrons in the metal trying to move into the
semiconductor. This barrier is known as the Schottky barrier and is
obtained from:

B   M   , for n-type semiconductor

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Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

On the semiconductor side, Vbi is the built-in potential barrier, this is the
barrier seen by electrons in the conduction band trying to move into the
metal. The built-in potential barrier is given by:

Ec  EF
V  B 
bi e
, for n-type semiconductor

Ec  EF kT  Nc 
n   ln
e e  N d 

Where Ec is the bottom edge of the conduction band, EF is the Fermi level
in n-type semiconductor and e is the electron charge.

Fig.14.2 Symbol of Schottky diode

Fig.14.3 ideal energy-hand diagram of a metal-n-semiconductor junction for ΦM > Φs.

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Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

Forward and reverse bias

As a positive voltage is applied to the metal with respect to the


semiconductor, the semiconductor-to-metal barrier Vbi is reduced while B
remains constant. In this situation, the barrier seen by the electrons in the
semiconductor is reduced so majority carrier electrons flow more easily
from the semiconductor into the metal. The current mechanism here is due
to the flow of majority carrier electrons.

Fig.14.4 Ideal energy-band diagram of a metal-semiconductor junction (a) under reverse bias and (b) under
forward bias.

In reverse bias situation a positive voltage is applied to the semiconductor


with respect to the metal, the semiconductor-to-metal barrier height
increases, while B again remains essentially constant. The potential across
the semiconductor now increases, yielding a larger depletion region and a
larger electric field at the interface. The barrier, which restricts the
electrons to the metal, is unchanged so that the flow of electrons is limited
by that barrier independent of the applied voltage. The metal-
semiconductor junction with positive barrier height has therefore a
pronounced rectifying behavior.
A large current exists under forward bias, while almost no current exists
under reverse bias.

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Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

The space charge width, W is given by

 
 2 s Vbi  VR
W  xd  

1/ 2



 eNd 

The maximum electric field is given by

eNd xd
Emax 
s

Example
Calculate the barrier height, built in potential and maximum electric field
in a metal-semiconductor diode for zero applied bias. Consider a contact
between tungsten and n-type silicon Nd=1022/m3 at T=300K.
Solution
The metal work function for tungsten (W) from the Table 1, φM=4.55V and
the electron affinity for silicon from Table 2 is χ=4.01V.
The barrier height is then

B   M    4.55  4.01  0.54V

V   B  n
bi

kT  N c 
  0.0259ln 2.8  10   0.206V
25
n  ln  1022 
e  N d 
  
V  0.54  0.206  0.33V
bi

The space charge width at zero bias is

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Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

1/ 2

 2 sVbi 
  2  11.7  8.85  1012  0.33
1/ 2

W  xd     19 

 eN d   1.6  10  1016

W  xd  0.207m

eN d x d 1.6  10 19  10 22  0.207  10 6


E max    3.2  106 V / m
s 11.7  8.85  10 12

Current vs. Voltage Relation

The current versus voltage relationship for a Schottky barrier diode to be


like the exponential behavior of the pn junction diode. The forward bias
current is in the direction from metal to semiconductor; it is an exponential
function of forward bias voltage V and given by the following equation
known as the Richardson equation.


I  I s eeV / kT  1 
Where Is is the saturation current and given by,

 e B / kT
I S  AA*T 2e
A* is the Richardson constant and given by,

4emnk 2
A 
*

h3

A is the area, k is the Boltzmann’s constant, T is the temperature, η is the


ideality factor. As we see the saturation current is determined by
thermionic emission of majority carriers over a potential barrier.

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