4/3/2018

Agenda

ECEN 370
Electronic Properties of Materials
• Metal semiconductor junction
Qammer H. Abbasi • Ohmic contact
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
qammer.abbasi@qatar.tamu.edu • (Schottky barrier diode)
“An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those • Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) Junction
who do.”

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Updated by J. Ji

Review Metal-Semiconductor Junction

A metal–semiconductor junction is formed between a

metal and a semiconductor, creating a Schottky barrier
(instead of a semiconductor–semiconductor junction as in
conventional diodes).
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Metal-Semiconductor Junction
• Two types: Ohmic contact (low resistance
contact) and Schottky Barrier diodes
• Typical metals used are molybdenum, platinum,
chromium or tungsten; and the semiconductor
would typically be N-type silicon.
• The metal side acts as the anode and N-type
semiconductor acts as the cathode of the diode.
This Schottky barrier results in both very fast
switching and low forward voltage drop.
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SCHOTTKY BARRIER DIODE
•The Schottky diode (named after German physicist Walter H. Schottky;
also known as hot carrier diode) is a semiconductor diode with a low
forward voltage drop and a very fast switching action.
•When current flows through a diode there is a small voltage drop across
the diode terminals. A normal silicon diode has a voltage drop between
0.6–1.7 volts, while a Schottky diode voltage drop is between
approximately 0.15–0.45 volts. This lower voltage drop can provide
higher switching speed and better system efficiency.
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Construction and Applicatoins

• It is often said that the Schottky diode is a "majority

carrier" semiconductor device. This means that if
the semiconductor body is doped n-type, only the n-
type carriers (mobile electrons) play a significant
role in normal operation of the device. The majority
carriers are quickly injected into the conduction
band of the metal contact on the other side of the
diode to become free moving electrons. Therefore
no slow, random recombination of n- and p- type
carriers is involved, so that this diode can cease
conduction faster than an ordinary p-n rectifier
diode. This property in turn allows a smaller device
area, which also makes for a faster transition.

Voltage Drop across the Metal

Semiconductor Contact
• Under equilibrium conditions
(VA = 0), the voltage drop across
the semiconductor depletion
region is the built-in voltage Vbi.
• If VA  0, the voltage drop across
the semiconductor depletion
region is Vbi - VA.
Current Flow
FORWARD BIAS • Current is determined by
majority-carrier flow across the
M-S junction:
o Under forward bias, majority-
carrier diffusion from the
semiconductor into the metal
dominates
REVERSE BIAS
o Under reverse bias, majority-
carrier diffusion from the
metal into the semiconductor
dominates

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Reverse recovery time

Comparison of characteristics of hot-
• The most important difference between the p-n and
carrier and p-n junction diodes Schottky diode is reverse recovery time, when the diode
switches from conducting to non-conducting state.
ID
Where in a p-n diode the reverse recovery time can be in
the order of hundreds of nanoseconds and less than
Hot
100 ns for fast diodes, Schottky diodes do not have a
carrier
p-n
junction
recovery time, as there is nothing to recover from (i.e.
diode diode no charge carrier depletion region at the junction).
• The switching time is ~100 ps for the small signal
diodes, and up to tens of nanoseconds for special high-
capacity power diodes. With p-n junction switching,
there is also a reverse recovery current, which in high-
power semiconductors brings increased EMI noise.
VD With Schottky diodes switching essentially instantly
p-n
junction Hot with only slight capacitive loading, this is much less of
diode carrier
diode
a concern.

• This is another reason why Schottky diodes are
useful in switch-mode power converters; the high
speed of the diode means that the circuit can operate
at frequencies in the range 200 kHz to 2 MHz,
allowing the use of small inductors and capacitors
with greater efficiency than would be possible with
other diode types. Small-area Schottky diodes are
the heart of RF detectors and mixers, which often
operate up to 50 GHz.
Limitations
• The most evident limitations of Schottky diodes are
the relatively low reverse voltage ratings for silicon-
metal Schottky diodes, typically 50 V and below,
and a relatively high reverse leakage current. Some
higher-voltage designs are available; 200V is
considered a high reverse voltage.
• Reverse leakage current, because it increases with
temperature, leads to a thermal instability issue. This
often limits the useful reverse voltage to well below
the actual rating.
• While higher reverse voltages are achievable, they
would be accompanied by higher forward voltage
drops, comparable to other types; such a Schottky
diode would have no advantage

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Applications of Schottky Diodes Ohmic contact

• IS of a Schottky diode is 103 to 108 times larger than that of a
pn junction diode, depending on FB .
 Schottky diodes are preferred rectifiers for low-voltage,
high-current applications.
Block Diagram of a Switching Power Supply

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Metal-Oxide-Semi (MOS) junction

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Summary

Metal-semiconductor junction:
Ohmic contact (low resistance)
Shottky diode: fast switching

Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) junction