2021-03-08

Metal-Semiconductor Junction

March-10, 2021

Contents:
1. Ideal metal-semiconductor junction in TE
2. Ideal metal-semiconductor junction outside equilibrium

Key questions

• What happens when you bring together a metal and a

semiconductor in intimate contact?

• What happens in a metal-semiconductor junction when you

apply a voltage to the metal with respect to the
semiconductor?

• In a metal-semiconductor junction under bias, is there current

flow? If so, how exactly does it happen?

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� Ideal   −   

 in TE:
Energy band line up depends on choice of metal and semiconductor.
Let’s do metal/n-type semiconductor with  >  :
a) Metal and semiconductor far apart

 =  + 

b) Metal and semiconductor in intimate contact

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 = ( −  )
 

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Most important parameter of MS junction: ℎ  ℎℎ :

 =  − 
Also:
 =  + 

  : simple theory not followed due to  

Þ In practice, rely on measurements for  .

Still can use:

 =  + 

Typical Schottky barrier height:  ~ 0.4 – 0.8 eV (depends on metal

and doping type).

� Electrostatics in TE:
In semiconductor:
· close to the M-S interface:  − ℎ 
· farther away:  −  

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Do 
  
 :
· Volume charge density:

  ≃  in SCR: 0 ≤  < 

  ≃0 in QNR:  < 

· Electric field:

ℰ  ≃ ( −  ) in SCR: 0 ≤  < 

ℰ  ≃0 in QNR:  < 

· Electrostatic potential, with ( ) = 0:


  ≃− (  − 2  +  ) in SCR: 0 ≤  < 

  ≃0 in QNR:  < 

 obtained by demanding ∅ 0 = −∅ :

2∅
 =


Maximum field:

  2 ∅

ℰ  = =
 

Key dependencies:
·  ↑ →  ↓ → |ℰ | ↑
·  ↑ →  ↑ → |ℰ | ↑

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Also in TE, Boltzmann relation:

∅()
 () =  

At  = 0:
−∅
  = 0 =  



Depletion approximation valid if  0 ≪  , or ∅ ≫ 3


2. Metal-semiconductor junction outside equilibrium

Apply voltage across:

· forward bias: metal positive with respect to semiconductor
· reverse bias: metal negative with respect to semiconductor

Voltage can drop in four distinct regions:

· metal
· metal-semiconductor interface on metal side
· semiconductor SCR
· semiconductor QNR

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Key to drawing energy band diagram: battery grabs on majority-carrier

quasi-Fermi level.

� Forward bias (V > 0):

Main consequence of voltage application:

∅ → ∅ −  < ∅
Then:
  <  ( = 0)

� Reverse bias (V < 0):

Also:
∅ → ∅ −  > ∅
Then:
  >   = 0

Otherwise, electrostatics not substantially changed.

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� Summary of electrostatics under bias:

Reuse main results from TE but ∅ → ∅ − :

2 ∅ −  
  = =  ( = 0) 1 −
 ∅

  () 2 (∅ − )

ℰ () = =
 


= ℰ ( = 0) 1−
∅

� Depletion capacitance
Examine change in SCR charge 

 :

SCR behaves as a capacitor:


  =
 ()
Or:
 ( = 0)
  = =
2(∅ − ) 
1−
∅

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Same result obtained if:


= H/W: Derive this.

With: (Due by TBD)

  =   ()

 −  ℎ to extract ∅ and  :

1 2(∅ − )
=
 

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Key conclusions
• Junction of dissimilar materials Þ dipole charge at interface
Þ built-in potential (∅ ).
• Relative band alignment between metal and semiconductor
characterized by ℎ  ℎℎ ,  .
• Simple theory for  does not apply Þ must use
experimentally determined values.
• In M-S junction, charge dipole occurs at interface; typically a
depletion region is created on semiconductor side.
• Built-in potential of M-S junction:
∅ =  − 

Key conclusions
• Application of voltage to M-S junction impacts ∅ directly Þ
  , ℰ()
• Modulation of depletion region width with respect to voltage
gives rise to 
  .
• Order of magnitude of key parameters in Si at 300 K:
- Schottky barrier height:  ~ 0.4 − 0.8  (depends on
metal and doping type).