Influence of a thin oxide layer between metal and semiconductor on Schottky diode behavior

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Two frequently observed problems with Schottky diodes are soft current–voltage characteristics and low avalanche breakdown voltages. These problems are sometimes found immediately upon fabrication, or they may develop during use. It is proposed that these phenomena can be explained by the existence of a thin layer (25–250 Å thick) between the metal and semiconductor which (i) has a high charge density, (ii) has a high trap density, and (iii) is conducting. Observed barrier height changes are explained by the trapping of charge carriers flowing through the layer and the lowered avalanche breakdown voltage by heating of carriers in the high field in the intervening layer. These explanations have been confirmed by measurements on GaP and GaAs diodes having a deliberately grown thin interfacial oxide ∠100 Å thick. Such an interfacial layer can be detected using a pulsed current–voltage technique described in the paper.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: