Schottky Barriers, Measurement and Modeling

Abstract The Schottky barrier, one of the earliest and simplest semiconductor of interfaces studied, consists of a metal in contact with a semiconductor. It is named after Walter Schottky, who in the 1930s developed a comprehensive theory of such contacts, and traced their properties to the electrical barrier that forms at the metal–semiconductor (MS) interface. If the barrier height is relatively large, the current–voltage (I–V) characteristics exhibit an asymmetrical rectifying behavior, while a symmetrical linearI–Vresponse results from a low barrier. The rectifyingMScontact is called the Schottky diode, whereas the non‐rectifying device is simply referred to as an ohmic contact.