9. Schottky Diode and Ohmic Contact
9. Schottky Diode and Ohmic Contact
9. Schottky Diode and Ohmic Contact
Ohmic Contact
Şenol Mutlu
Point-contact diodes
Point-contact diodes were developed
starting in the 1930s, out of the early crystal
detector technology, and are now generally
used in the 3 to 30 gigahertz range. They
use a small diameter metal wire in contact
with a semiconductor crystal. The metal
side is the pointed end of a small diameter
wire that is in contact with the
semiconductor crystal. Point contact diodes
generally exhibit lower capacitance, higher
forward resistance and greater reverse
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diode
leakage than junction diodes.
𝑞𝜒𝑆𝑖 = 4.03 𝑒𝑉
• non-rectifying
“ohmic contact” I
𝑉𝐴
𝐼=
𝑅𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑐𝑡
VA
I
Band diagram
instantly after
contact
formation:
Schottky diode
Schottky Barrier
ΦBn = ΦM − 𝜒
Equilibrium
band 𝑞𝑉bi = ΦBn − (𝐸𝐶 − 𝐸𝐹 )𝐹𝐵
diagram 2𝜀𝑠 𝑉𝑏𝑖
𝑊=
𝑞𝑁𝐷
Semiconductors and Electronic Devices 5
Schottky Diode
𝑞𝑉𝐴
𝐼= 𝐼0 (𝑒 𝑘𝑇 − 1)
𝐼0 ∝ 𝑒 −𝑞Φ𝐵𝑛/𝑘𝑇
• The barrier (ΦM − 𝜒) for the ideal case is unaffected by the bias
voltage.
• The forward current is due to the injection of majority carriers from
the semiconductor into the metal.
• The absence of minority carrier injection and the associated
storage delay time is an important feature of Schottky barrier
diodes.
• Their high-frequency properties and switching speed are
therefore generally better than typical p-n junctions.
• Schottky diode is a unipolar device, while the PN junction diode is
a bipolar device. The current flow across a Schottky diode is only
due to electrons. While in a pn junction diode, the current flow
through the diode is due to electrons and holes.
Semiconductors and Electronic Devices 6
Ideal MS Contact: FM < FS, n-type
Ohmic Contact
Schottky diode
ΦB𝑝
Ohmic Contact
2𝜀𝑠 (𝑉𝑏𝑖 − 𝑉𝐴 )
⇒ 𝑊=
𝑞𝑁𝐷
• W decreases with forward bias: VA is positive
• W increases with reverse bias: VA is negative
• W decreases with increasing ND
Semiconductors and Electronic Devices 17
W for p-type Semiconductor
I
+ VA _
I Reverse bias
Metal p-Si
VA
forward bias
𝑞𝑁𝐴 2
𝑉 𝑥 = 𝑊−𝑥
2𝐾𝑆 𝜀0
At x = 0, V = Vbi + VA
Ev Ev
w
~0 (small)
Ec Ec
EF
Ev EF Ev
Ec Ec
EF
EF Ev
Ev
EF Ec Ec
Ev EF Ev