Semiconductor Device Physics: Courselet 2. Schottky Diodes, Ohmic Contacts, and PN Junction Diodes

Instructor:
Professor Krishna C. Saraswat, Stanford University

Courselet Overview:
This courselet is the second of a 4-courselet series on Semiconductor Device Physics covering various topics including physics of semiconductors, Schottky diodes, ohmic contacts, PN junction diodes, MOS capacitors, MOS transistors, and bipolar transistors. This condensed courselet (Courselet 2) focuses on basic physics of several two-terminal semiconductor devices including metal-semiconductor contacts (Schottky diodes), ohmic contacts, and PN junction diodes. This courselet also provides access to a series of interactive applets including SemiZone’s Virtual MOSFET and SUNY Buffalo’s semiconductor applets.

Courselet Outline and Learning Objectives:
The six modules in this courselet cover the following topics and learning objectives:

  • Metal-Semiconductor Contacts: o Band diagrams and electrostatics of Schottky barrier (Module 1) o Current-voltage characteristics of Schottky Diode (Module 2)
  • Ohmic Contacts (Module 3)
  • PN Junction Diodes: o Static characteristics (Module 4) o Current-voltage characteristics (Module 5) o Electrical breakdown (Module 6)
This courselet provides the necessary background knowledge for learning the physics and principles of operation of various semiconductor devices including MOS transistors and bipolar junction transistors in the subsequent courselets.

Who should take the courselet:
This courselet is taught at an introductory level does not require any special prerequisites other than knowledge of the materials covered in Courselet 1 of the 4-courselet series. Some familiarity with semiconductor materials and devices is helpful but not essential. The target audience includes:

  • Undergraduate engineering and science students
  • Process and equipment engineers interested in learning semiconductor device physics
  • Individuals interested in learning about the basic principles and operation of semiconductor devices

Modules:

  • Overview
  • Module 1 - Band Diagrams and Electrostatics of Schottky Barrier
  • Module 2 - Current-Voltage Characteristics of Schottky Diode
  • Module 3 - Ohmic Contacts
  • Module 4 - PN Junction Diodes: Static Characteristics
  • Module 5 - PN Junction Diodes: Current-Voltage Characteristics
  • Module 6 - PN Junction Diodes: Electrical Breakdown