INFLUENCE OF BARRIER HEIGHT DISTRIBUTION ON THE PARAMETERS OF SCHOTTKY DIODES

I-V curves of Schottky diodes are simulated for a Gaussian type of the Schottky barrier height (SBH) distribution using the model of noninteracting parallel diodes. The mean value and the standard deviation of the distribution are supposed to be constant, i.e., not dependent on the voltage and the temperature. The influence of the distribution parameters and the temperature on the apparent barrier height and the ideality factor is analyzed. It is shown that the ideality factor increases and the apparent barrier height decreases with increasing standard deviation and decreasing temperature. The simulation also provides a rough estimate for the standard deviation. Values of approximately 0.09 V can result in ideality factors up to 1.2. The importance of the effect of series resistance in the approach of noninteracting diodes is emphasized.