Experiment3

I-V Characterization of Metal-Semiconductor contacts

Objectives:

1.Tomeasure the current-voltage characteristics of metal-semiconductor contacts.

2.Todetermine whether a given contact-substrate combination produces an ohmic contactor a

Schottky contact.

What is called a Junction:

Materials like semiconductor, metals, insulators are joined together to form electronic devices. The
interface between these materials is called the junctions. These junctions may affect the electrical
properties of the materials. Ideal junctions do not affect the properties. Following are the types of
junctions.

What is metal semiconductor junction?

As the name says metal semiconductor junction is metals and semiconductors are joined together to
form electronic devices. There are mainly two types of metal semiconductor junction

1) Schottky barrier (Φm > Φsemi)

2) Ohmic contact (Φm < Φsemi)

The distance between the Fermi level and the vacuum level is called as the work function( Φ).

First let us learn what happens when metal and semiconductor is joined and the changes in their
energy levels.

Energy band diagram before metal- semiconductor contact:

Energy band diagram before metal semiconductor contact

The above figure shows the Fermi level, energy level of conduction and valence band of metals and
semiconductor before they are joined. 

Energy band diagram after metal- semiconductor contact:

When the metal and the semiconductor come in contact, the Fermi level of both metal and
semiconductor tend to become equal. The energy level of conduction band of the semiconductor is
higher than the Fermi level. So the electrons from higher energy level tend to flow to lower energy
level. So the electrons in the conduction band decreases and the distance between the Fermi level
and the energy level of conduction band decreases. 

The electrons which had moved from higher energy level to lower energy level leaves holes behind
which are positive ions. And thus the depletion zone is formed and the width of the depletion zone
depends on the amount of impurity added.

1) Schottky barrier:

Depletion layer is formed in the semiconductor due to the transfer of

electrons from semiconductor to metal. Thus the Schottky barrier is
formed at the junction of N type semiconductor and the metal

Energy band diagram of schottky barrier

The depletion layer formed in the semiconductor extends and thus the bend is formed in the energy
band diagram of semiconductor. From the above figure we observe that work function ΦM of metal
is larger than than the work function of the semiconductor ΦN. There is a built in potential formed in
the schottky barrier. It is given by

eV0 = Φm – Φsemi

The work function of the metal remains constant but the work function of the semiconductor
depends on the doping concentration. The barrier which is formed prevents the electrons to move
from metal to semiconductor and from semiconductor to metal. The schottky barrier is denoted by
ΦB and is given by

ΦB= Φm-Xn, where Xn is the electron affinity of n type semiconductor. There are two types of bias
applied to the schottky barrier, they are

a) Forward bias
b) Reverse bias

a) Forward bias

When external voltage is applied, when forward biased the positive terminal is connected to the
metal and the negative terminal is connected to the N type semiconductor. The electrons receives
more energy to cross the junction barrier and move from N type semiconductor to the metal and
thus the current starts to flow. The current is due to the drift of majority charge carriers. Since there
is no P type semiconductor there is no holes and thus no minority carriers.

Schottky junction at forward bias

From the above figure we observe that when forward biased the Fermi level of the metal is lower
than the Fermi level of semiconductor. So the schottky barrier ΦB decreases across the
semiconductor which makes electrons to diffuse easily from semiconductor to metal. Because of this
movement of electrons, a positive current is formed across the junction.

b) Reverse bias

When reverse biased the positive terminal is connected to the N type semiconductor and the
negative terminal is connected to the metal. The size of the depletion region increases and the
current stops to flow. There is small amount of leakage current. When the applied voltage is
increased further the current increases and when increased further the depletion region breaks
down which damages the device permanently.
 Schottky junction at reverse bias

When we observe from the above figure the Fermi level of the metal is higher than the Fermi level of
the semiconductor. So the potential across the barrier increases and blocks the electrons from
diffusing from semiconductor to metal.

2) Ohmic contact:

Potential barrier is not formed at all cases when metal and semiconductor is joined. So in that case
when no potential barrier is formed, it is called as Ohmic contact or Ohmic junction.

Energy band diagram of ohmic junction

 

Here the work function of metal Φm is lesser than the work function of semiconductor Φsemi. The
electrons move from metal to semiconductor and thus the Fermi level of the semiconductor moves
up till equilibrium state is established. Since there is no barrier even a small forward bias will
produce large forward bias current and when reverse bias is applied small barrier is formed but it is
removed when the reverse bias is increased further.

V-I characteristics of Schottky barrier and Ohmic contact:

V-I characteristics of Schottky barrier and ohmic contact

From the above figure we observe that in the schottky barrier during forward bias the current
increases after the electrons overcomes the potential barrier at the junction and during reverse bias
the depletion layer increases and thus only very small amount of current flows.

In the Ohmic contact since there is no potential barrier, small amount of bias produces large current
in both forward and reverse bias. 

Equipment / Chemicals
1.Keithley 4200 Semiconductor Characterization System

Methodology