Metal Semiconductor Junction

Structure and principle of operation

The structure of a metal-semiconductor junction is shown in Figure. It consists of a metal contacting a piece of semiconductor. An ideal Ohmic contact, a contact such that no potential exists between the metal and the semiconductor, is made to the other side of the semiconductor.

Structure and sign convention of a metal-semiconductor junction

Flatband diagram and built-in potential

Energy band diagram of the metal and the semiconductor before (a) and after (b) contact is made.

The barrier height, fB, is defined as the potential difference between the Fermi energy of the metal and the band edge where the majority carriers reside. Here M is the work function of the metal and is the electron affinity.

built-in potential
A metal-semiconductor junction will therefore form a barrier for electrons and holes if the Fermi energy of the metal as drawn on the flatband diagram is somewhere between the conduction and valence band edge. In addition, we define the built-in potential, I, as the difference between the Fermi energy of the metal and that of the semiconductor.