2-Metal Semiconductor Contacts

Physics & Modelling of
Microelectronics Devices
(MEL G631 )
Arnab Hazra
Email: arnab.hazra@pilani.bits-pilani.ac.in
Module 02
Metal Semiconductor Contacts
Introduction
 All integrated circuit communicate with rest of the
electrical system via-metal-semiconductor Contacts.
 Major focus on Metal-Silicon contacts.
 General nature of thermal equilibrium when metal and

semiconductor are in intimate contact.
 MS-junction by Schottky Theory: Rectifying behavior and

Ohmic behavior.
 Schottky theory may not adequate due to real nature of

the solid interface.
Equilibrium in electronic system
Metal –Semiconductor System
At thermal equilibrium the Fermi level is constant

throughout a system
Equilibrium in electronic system
Metal –Semiconductor System
Idealized metal-semiconductor
junction
Idealized metal-semiconductor junction
Under bias
Under bias
Under reverse bias, space-charge density in the semiconductor increases from
its equilibrium value
With a small-signal ac bias added to the fixed dc bias Va, the junction shows a
capacitive behavior that can be calculated by using the above Equation
Where C represents capacitance per unit area.

For the total voltage across the junction, we obtain
1/C2 vs Applied bias
• A plot of the square of the reciprocal of the small-signal capacitance versus
the reverse bias voltage should be a straight line.
• Slope of the straight line can be used to obtain the doping in the
semiconductor,
• Intercept of the straight line with the voltage axis should equal φi.
Measurements of the small-signal capacitance are useful even in cases where the
semiconductor doping varies with distance.
Space charge in non-uniform doping
For a given dc (reverse) bias (Va < 0), the space-charge layer is of width Xd. A
small increase in the magnitude of Va causes a small increase in Qs where
Space charge in non-uniform doping
an increment in voltage dVa results in an increment in Qs of value

Problem 1
Schottky Barrier Lowering (or Image Force
Lowering)
 The barrier height, φB
changes as a function
of bias voltage Va
 This is because of the

presence of a good
conductor (metal)
modifies the electric
field near the metal
surface.
 Can be modelled with

image charge method.
Schottky Barrier Lowering (or Image Force
Lowering)
Schottky Barrier Lowering (or Image
Force Lowering)
Current-Voltage (J-V) characteristics
 Ideal Diode Equation
 Schottky Barrier (Diffusion Model)
 Mott Barrier (Non-uniform doping)

Currents are proportional to the density of electrons at boundary

 The dependence of current on applied voltage in a metal-semiconductor
junction can be obtained by integrating the equations for carrier diffusion
and drift across the depletion region near the contact
 This approach, which was first used by Schottky.
 Assume was the dimensions of this space-charge region are sufficiently

large so that the use of a diffusion constant and a mobility are meaningful
 The width of the region is at least a few electronic mean-free paths and
that the field strength is less than that at which the drift velocity
saturates.

Nonrectifying (Ohmic) contacts
 In Schottky contact, majority carriers were limited in depletion
region as compared to the bulk. Also a barrier exists that was
responsible for maximum drop of voltage across the junction.
 In Ohmic contact, junction itself offers a negligible resistance to

current flow compared to the bulk.
 In is considered that all free carrier density at an Ohmic contact

are unchanged by current flow remain their thermal equilibrium
value.
 Tunnel Contact
 Schottky Ohmic Contact

 Tunnel Contact
 Schottky Ohmic Contact
For n-type semiconductor
𝑞𝜑𝑠 > 𝑞𝜑𝑀
For p-type semiconductor

𝑞𝜑𝑠 < 𝑞𝜑𝑀
 The major difference was, in

interface, semiconductor
charge are free electrons
where as constant amount of
 Distribution of space charge (n), positive donor ions are
electric field (Ex) and space charge locating in the barrier region
width (Xd) calculation as a function of in Schottky junction.
Debey length (LD)  Electron concentrations are
𝜖 𝑘𝑇
 𝐿𝐷 = 𝑞𝑠2𝑛 is called Debey length. LD gradually increase from bulk
𝑠 towards the interface in
is a qualitative measure to know how Ohmic junction
far the electrical effect persists from
boundary.
 Schottky Ohmic Contact
Problem
 Consider a Si- sample, initially having EF-Ei=0.36 eV at 300 K. Then, the Si-
sample is doped uniformly by boron impurity of concentration 6.5×1016 cm-3 to
develop an M-S junction with a metal having work function 4.5 eV. If the metal-
semiconductor junction is biased by a positive voltage of 8 V at metal w.r.t the
semiconductor. Consider cross-section of the junction as 10-5 cm2 to calculate
the current. (Ignore any tunneling possibility).
 (a) Find the built in potential under thermal equilibrium.
 (b) Find the barrier height under thermal equilibrium.
 (c) Find the current in M-S junction under 8 V bias
 (d) Find the amount of Schottky barrier lowering due to image force under 8 V
bias.
 (e) Re-calculate the current in M-S junction considering image force lowering
under same bias (i.e. 8 V).
Surface Effect
Surface
 Periodicity of crystal is stopped/broken
 Don’t have sufficient neighboring atom to form bond
 Incomplete bonds: Dangling bond
 Unsatisfied bonds create energy states in energy gap
 Wide variety of surface states.
Surface Effect
Density of surface states
 Almost 2/3 of the atomic density.
 The energy level of these surface states are not well known but is
believed to peak around EV+1/3 Eg in diamond crystal.
 This applicable to many hetero interface like metal-semiconductor
interface.
Fermi Level Pinning in Schottky contact
 Consider a rectifying
Schottky contact with large
density of surface states
 The states lying above the EF

will be empty and below EF
will be occupied.
 After formation of contact,

e- are flow from
semiconductor to metal
showing a band bending
near contact.
 Number of e- produce by
surface states are enough to
reach equilibrium
 Fermi Level position near

surface is only be
determined by surface states
not by the bulk doping.

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Physics & Modelling of

 Major focus on Metal-Silicon contacts.

 General nature of thermal equilibrium when metal and

 MS-junction by Schottky Theory: Rectifying behavior and

 Schottky theory may not adequate due to real nature of

At thermal equilibrium the Fermi level is constant

Where C represents capacitance per unit area.

an increment in voltage dVa results in an increment in Qs of value

 This is because of the

 Can be modelled with

 Schottky Barrier (Diffusion Model)

 Mott Barrier (Non-uniform doping)

Currents are proportional to the density of electrons at boundary

 This approach, which was first used by Schottky.

 Assume was the dimensions of this space-charge region are sufficiently

 Schottky Barrier (Diffusion Model)

 Mott Barrier (Non-uniform doping)

 In Ohmic contact, junction itself offers a negligible resistance to

 In is considered that all free carrier density at an Ohmic contact

 Schottky Ohmic Contact

For p-type semiconductor

 The major difference was, in

 The states lying above the EF

 After formation of contact,

 Fermi Level position near

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