PN Junction Diode I-V &

Breakdown Characteristics

http://daisy.kw.ac.kr/~k 1

yseo/
Semiconductor device lab.
 Contents
 Introduction
• Experiment
 Fabrication
- Alloy - HP4155B measurement
- Epitaxial growth - Simwindows simulation
- Thermal diffusion - Silvaco simulation
- Ion implantation
 Diode characteristics
- Forward bias
- Reverse bias
 Breakdown characteristics
- Zener breakdown
- Avalanche breakdown

Kwangwoon 2/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Introduction
 Basic structure of PN junction

Si Si Si Si Si Si Si Si Si Si Si Si
h+ h+ e- e-
Si Si
B Si Si Si
B Si Si P Si Si P Si

Si Si Si Si Si Si Si Si Si Si Si Si

p-type Si n-type Si

SCR
_
+
B Si Si P Si Si
_
+
p-Type Si B Si
_
Si P Si n-Type
+
Si Si B Si Si P

_ ion
+ ion

Kwangwoon 3/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Introduction
 PN junction of equilibrium energy state V      V ln N a N d
bi Fp Fn T 2
ni
Ec Ec
Ef Ec
Ef eVbi
Ev Ec
Ev Ef Ef
Ev

Ev
P N

 E 
eNd
Vbi
-Xp -Xp Xn
Xn x x -Xp Xn

-eNa

Kwangwoon 4/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Introduction
 Classification of the PN Junction

Homo-junction

1 um

N P
GaAs AlGaAs

1 2 3
Single Double
1 2 3
hetero-junction hetero-junction

Kwangwoon 5/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Application of the PN Junction
BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor)

HBT (Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor) Rectifiers

P
N Switching diode

Junction diode Breakdown diode

J
U Varactor diode

N Tunnel diode
C PN Junction diode Solar cell
T Photo-diode
I Photodetector

O Light Emitting diode & Laser Diode

N
JFET
FET (Field Effect Transistor) MOSFET - memory
MESFET - HEMT
Kwangwoon 6/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
Fabrication
Fabrication of
of PN
PN Junction
Junction Diode
Diode
 Alloyed junction

 Epitaxial growth

 Thermal diffusion

 Ion implantation

7/34 Semiconductor device lab.

 Alloyed junction

Aluminum
pellet Aluminum
Regrown region
(P+-silicon)

N-silicon N-silicon

Kwangwoon 8/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Epitaxial growth

Kwangwoon 9/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Reactors of epitaxial growth

Kwangwoon 10/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Thermal diffusion

Kwangwoon 11/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Diffusion source
Chemical Chemical Chemical
Type Condition Diffusion Reaction
Element Compound Formula
Antimony
Antimony Sb2O3 Solid
Trioxide
Arsenic Trioxide As2O3 Solid 2AsH3+3O2 As2O3+3H2O
Arsenium
Arsen AsH3 Gas
N Type
Phosphorus
POCl3 Liquid 4POCl3+3O2 2P2O5+6Cl2
Oxychloride
Phosphorus Phosphorus
P2O5 Solid
Pentoxide
phosphine PH3 Gas 2PH3+4O2 P2O5+3H2O
Boron Tribromi
BBr3 Liquid 4BBr3+3O2 2B2O3+6Br2
de
Boron Trioxide B2 O 3 Solid B2H6+3O2 B2O3+3H2O

P Type Boron Diborin B2 H 6 Gas

Boron Trichlorid
BCl3 Gas 2BCl3+3H2 2B+6HCl
e

Boron Nitride BN Solid(Wafer)

Etc. Gold Gold Au Solid

Kwangwoon 12/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Ion implantation

Diffusion Ion Implantation

High temperature, hard mask (SiO 2)
Isotropic dopant profile
Cannot independently control the
dopant concentration, junction depth
Batch process
Doped region
Low temperature, PR mask
Anisotropic dopant profile
Can independently control the
dopant concentration, junction depth
Both batch and single-wafer processes
Doped region

SiO2 SiO2 PR PR

Si Si Junction
depth

Kwangwoon 13/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Applications for ion implantation
1E17
Bonded wafer splitting for
silicon on insulator (SOI)
[H, He]
1E16 Polysilicon Doping
[As, B]
Dose [atoms/cm2]

1E15 Source/Drain contact [As, BF2, B]

Preamorphization Bipolar buried

Source/Drain extension [Ge, Si] subcollector [P, As]
1E14 [As, BF2 ,B]

Anti punch-throough
[As, B, In, Sb]
1E13 CMOS Triple
Channel engineering Retrograde well Well
[As, BF2, B, P, In, Sb] [P, B, As]
1E12
Threshold voltage(Vt)
CCD burid barrier
adjust [As, BF2, B, P, In]
[B]
1E11
0.1 1 10 100 1000 10000
Energy [keV]

Kwangwoon 14/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
I-V
I-V characteristics
characteristics of
of PN
PN Junction
Junction Diode
Diode
Diode characteristics
* Forward bias current
* Reverse bias current
Breakdown characteristics
* Zener breakdown
* Avalanche breakdown

15

15/34 Semiconductor device lab.

 Qualitative Description of Current Flow

Equilibrium Reverse bias Forward bias

Kwangwoon 16/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Ideal I-V Characteristics
1) The abrupt depletion layer approximation applies
- abrupt boundries & neutral outside of the depletion region

2) The Maxwell-Boltzamnn approximation applies.

3) The Concept of low injection applies.

4) - Total current is a constant through the entire.

- In & Ip are continuous function
- In & Ip are constant throughout the depletion region

Kwangwoon 17/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Boundary Condition
Na Nd
Vbi  Vt ln (Vbi : built  in potential barrier )
ni
If forward bias is applied to the PN junction,
다수 캐리어 (majority carrier) 가 공간전하영역
(space charge region) 을 지나 흐른다 . 반대쪽으로
들어간 carrier 는 소수 캐리어 (minorrity carrier) 가
되어 diffusion, drift recombination 과정을 거친다 .

eVa
n p  n po exp( )
kT
eVa
Pn  Pno exp( )
kT

Kwangwoon 18/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Minority Carrier Distribution
 n  rigion 
 2 (pn ( x ))  (pn ( x)) pn  (pn ( x ))
Dp  pE  g ' 
x 2
x  po t

 (Pn ( x ))
Steady state condition :  0, g '  0, E  0
t

<n-region>
V x x
pn ( x)  pno [exp( a )  1]  exp( n )
Vt Ln
<p-region>
eVa xp  x
n p ( x)  n po [exp( )  1]  exp( )
kT Ln

Kwangwoon 19/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Ideal PN Junction Current
dpn ( x )
J p ( xn )  eD p
dx x  xn

eD p pno Va
J p ( xn )  [exp( )  1]
Lp Vt
Similarly ,
dn p ( x )
J n (  x p )  eDn
dx x  x p

eDn p po Va
J n ( x p )  [exp( )  1]
Ln Vt

J  J n (  x p )  J p ( xn )  J s (eVa Vt
 1)
eD p pno eDn n po
Js  (  )
Lp Ln
Kwangwoon 20/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Total PN Junction Current
eD p Pno eVa  ( x  xn )
J p ( x)  [exp( )  1]  exp[ ], ( x  xn )
Lp kT Lp
eDn n po eVa x  xp
J n ( x)  [exp( )  1]  exp[ ], ( x   x p )
Ln kT Ln

Kwangwoon 21/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Temperature Effect

eVa
J  J s exp(  1)
kT
eD p pno eDn n po
Js  (  )
Lp Ln

ni2 ni2
steady state : pno  , n po 
Nd Na

Js : strong function of temperature

Eg
J s  n  exp(
2
i )
kT
Kwangwoon 22/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Reverse Bias Generation Current
Recombination rate of excess carriers
Total reverse bias current density, JR
(Shockley-Read-Hall model)
Cn C p N t (np  ni )
2
J R  J s  J gen
R
Cn (n  n' )  C p ( p  p ' )
eD p pno eDn n po ni
In depletion region, n=p=0 Js   J gen   e W
Lp Ln 2 o
2
CnC p N t ni
R  G
Cn n'C p p '

Et  Ei일때 n  p  ni
 po   no   o일때
ni
R
2 o
ni
J gen   e  Rdx    e W  G
2 o
Kwangwoon 23/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Forward Bias Recombination Current
Recombination rate of excess carriers
(Shockley-Read-Hall model)
2
CnC p N t (np  ni )
R
C n ( n  n' )  C p ( p  p ' )

( np  ni2 )
R
 po (n  n)   no ( p  p)

R = Rmax at x=o
ni eVa
Rmax  exp( )
2 0 2kT
w eWni eV
J rec   eRdx  exp( a )
0 2 o 2kT
eVa
J rec  J ro exp( )
2kT
Kwangwoon 24/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Total Forward Bias Current
Total forward bias current density, J eVa
ln J rec  ln J ro 
2kT
J  J rec  J D eVa
ln J D  ln J s 
kT
eVa
J rec  J ro exp( )
2kT
eVa
J  J s exp[  1]
kT

In general, (n : ideality factor)

eVa
I  I S [exp( )  1], (1  n  2)
nkT
Kwangwoon 25/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Zener Breakdown
Highly doped junction ( narrow W)
Mechanism is termed tunnelling or zener breakdown
Zener effect
Doping level > 1018/Cm3 P n
Ec
In case of Ge, Si
E (field) > 106 V/m Ef
Ev

h+ e-
x

Ec
Ef

Ev

Kwangwoon 26/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Avalanche Breakdown
Impact ionization mechanism
Predominant breakdown In(w) = M * Ino

mechanism Total current during

avalanche multiplication

Kwangwoon 27/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
Critical Electric Field & Voltage at Breakdown
s E 2 crit The breakdown voltage will decrease
VB  for a linearly graded junction
2eN B

Critical electric field at breakdown Total current during

in a one-sided junction avalanche multiplication

Kwangwoon 28/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Metal Contacts

<Schottky contact>
<Ohmic contact>  The difference of carrier concentrations
of the two materials at the contact.
 No rectifying action.  A barrier potential exists.
 The current can flow in both directi
 rectifying action occurs.
 Mostly used in switching circuits.
on (turn on/off switches)

Kwangwoon 29/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Metal Contacts I-V Characteristics

Kwangwoon 30/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
Measurement
Measurement of
of PN
PN Junction
Junction Diode
Diode
 Silvaco simulation

 Simwindows simulation
-report (forward & reverse bias)

 HP4155B measurement

31

31/34 Semiconductor device lab.

 Silvaco Simulation

Kwangwoon 32/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 Simwindows Simulation (http://www-ocs.colorado.edu/SimWindows)

Kwangwoon 33/34
University Semiconductor device lab.
 HP 4155B Measurement

CHANNELS: CHANNEL DEFINITION 94JAN01 01:30PM HP4155B Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer

HEWLETT
CONST hp PACKARD HP 4155B Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer

Sweep
*MESUREMENT MODE Auto

SWEEP VAR1 Grap

List

Line Mark Scaling Alany Line Next

*CHANNELS VAR2

MEASURE SERIES
RESISTANCE
STBY
UNIT VNAME INAME MODE FCTN VAR1'
0 ohm
SMU1:MP
0 ohm
SMU2:MP
SMU3:MP Vg Ig V VAR2
SMU4:MP Vsb Isb COMMON CONST
------ -------
VSU1
------ -------
VSU2
VMU1 ------ -------
SiO 2 Al SiO 2
VMU2 ------ -------
DELETE p-type
ROW
n-type
VAR1
CHANNEL USER USER NEXT N + -Si
DEF FCTN VAR PAGE

Ohmic contact

Kwangwoon 34/34
University Semiconductor device lab.