Chapter

METAL-
SEMICONDUCTOR
JUNCTIONS

Metal-semiconductor junctions are a critical component of microelectronics. The following gures

provide an overview of Schottky barrier diodes, ohmic contacts, and interconnect delay issues.
 BAND PROFILE OF A METAL AND SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTION

Metal Work functions of some metals

Element Work function, φm (volt)

n-type
semiconductor Ag, silver 4.26
Contact Al, aluminum 4.28
Au, gold 5.1
(a) Cr, chromium 4.5
Mo, molybdenum 4.6
Ni, nickel 5.15
Pd, palladium 5.12
Pt, platinum 5.65
Ti, titanium 4.33
W, tungsten 4.55

Electron affinity of some semiconductors

Element Electron affinity, χ (volt)

Ge, germanium 4.13

Si, silicon 4.01
GaAs, gallium arsenide 4.07
AlAs, aluminum arsenide 3.5

Band profiles of disconnected φm > φs n-type

metal and semiconductor Vacuum energy
≈ ≈ eφ eχs
s
eφm Ec
EFs

EFm

Ev

n-semiconductor
(b) Metal

Vacuum
Formation of a Schottky En
erg
junction eχs y

++
eφm eφb + + eφm – eφs = eVbi
– +
Ec
–
EFm EFs

Ev

(c) W

METAL-SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTION AT EQUILIBRIUM

© Prof. Jasprit Singh www.eecs.umich.edu/~singh

 SCHOTTKY JUNCTION ON A P-TYPE SEMICONDUCTOR

p-type
Evac
Metal and semiconductor band
≈ ≈ eφ eχs
profiles s
eφm Ecs

EFm
EFs
Evs
Metal Semiconductor

(a)
Ec
Formation of a Schottky junction
for p-type materials p-semiconductor
+

AAAAA
AAAAAAAAAA
Metal +
+ EFs

AAAAA
eφb Ev
eφs – eφm = eVbi

(b)

© Prof. Jasprit Singh www.eecs.umich.edu/~singh

 SCHOTTKY JUNCTION IN REAL SYSTEMS

Semiconductor surfaces
have a large number of
defect states (from broken
bands, impurities, etc.)
Defect levels in the bandgap at the
metal-semiconductor interface
eφb = Eg – eφο
Ec
EFm eφο EFs

Ev

SCHOTTKY METAL n Si p Si n GaAs

Aluminum, Al 0.7 0.8

Titanium, Ti 0.5 0.61

Tungsten, W 0.67

Gold, Au 0.79 0.25 0.9

Silver, Ag 0.88

Platinum, Pt 0.86

PtSi 0.85 0.2

NiSi2 0.7 0.45

Schottky barrier heights are determined by the semiconductor and have

a rather weak dependence on the metal.

© Prof. Jasprit Singh www.eecs.umich.edu/~singh

 CURRENT FLOW IN A SCHOTTKY DIODE

• Metal-to-semiconductor barrier is unchanged by external bias

• Semiconductor-to-metal barrier is increased (reverse bias) or decreased (forward bias) by an
external bias.

+ V –
– V +
Electron flow

e(Vbi – V)
Ec
eφb = e(φm – χ) e(φm – χ)
EFs
eV
EFm EFm e(Vbi + V)

Ev
Ec
Forward bias EFs

(a)

Ev
Reverse bias
(b)
I
Current dominated by electron
flow from the semiconductor
to the metal

Current dominated by electron V

flow from the metal to the
semiconductor
(c)
Diode with area A:
I = Is exp ( keVT ) –1
B
m*ekB2 –eφb
Is = A ( 2π2h3 )T 2 exp
(k T )
B

–eφb
= A R* T2 exp (k T )
B
m*
Richardson constant: R* = 120 mo Acm–2K–2

© Prof. Jasprit Singh www.eecs.umich.edu/~singh

 SMALL SIGNAL MODEL OF A SCHOTTKY DIODE

The Schottky diode is a majority carrier device. Unlike a p-n diode, in

forward bias no minority carrier injection occurs. Thus there is no
diffusion capacitance and the device response can be very fast.

Equivalent circuit of a diode in

series with a resistor and inductor

Cgeom

Cd Rs Ls

Rd

Depletion capacitance:
eN ε 1/2
Cd = A 2(V d–V)
bi

Diode resistance:

Rd = dV = keIT
dI B

© Prof. Jasprit Singh www.eecs.umich.edu/~singh

 A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE PROPERTIES OF A P-N AND A
SCHOTTKY DIODE

p-n DIODE SCHOTTKY DIODE

Reverse current due to minority Reverse current due to majority

carriers diffusing to the depletion carriers that overcome the barrier
layer strong temperature less temperature dependence
dependence

Forward current due to minority Forward current due to majority

carrier injection from n- and p-sides injection from the semiconductor

Forward bias needed to make the The cut-in voltage is quite small
device conducting (the cut-in
voltage) is large

Switching speed controlled by Switching speed controlled by

recombination (elimination) of thermalization of "hot" injected
minority injected carriers electrons across the barrier ~ few
picoseconds

Ideality factor in I-V characteristics Essentially no recombination in

~ 1.2-2.0 due to recombination in depletion region ideality factor
depletion region ~ 1.0

© Prof. Jasprit Singh www.eecs.umich.edu/~singh

 METAL-SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS: OHMIC CONTACT AND
SCHOTTKY JUNCTION

OHMIC CONTACT
Current is linear in an
ohmic contact
resistance is very small

CURRENT
Schottky
barrier

VOLTAGE

OHMIC CONTACT

Heavy doping in the OHMIC CONTACT

semiconductor causes a
very thin depletion width Electrons tunnel
and electrons can tunnel through narrow
across this barrier leading depletion region
to ohmic behavior e e
Ec
EF
METAL

n+
REGION
n-type
SEMICONDUCTOR
Ev

© Prof. Jasprit Singh www.eecs.umich.edu/~singh

 INTERCONNECT DELAY: GOING FROM AL TO CU

As device dimensions shrink interconnect cross-sections also must shrink. This

increases the interconnect resistance and the associated time delay for signal
propagation.

40
TRANSISTOR GATE LENGTHS:
1999: 0.2 µm
35
2003: 0.1 µm
Interconnect delay for
30 Al-based interconnects
TIME DELAY (ps)

25

20
Transistor delay
15

10 Interconnect delay for

Cu-based interconnects
5

0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7

GATE LENGTH (µm)
Based on Semiconductor Industry Associates Roadmap.

© Prof. Jasprit Singh www.eecs.umich.edu/~singh