SEMICONDUCTOR INTERFACE FORMATION - THEORETICAL ASPECTS

A theoretical discussion of the state of the art in the field of semiconductor interface formation is presented. The thick interface limit is discussed for Schottky barriers and heterojunctions presenting the IDIS model and the UD model which are compared with each other. The thin layer limit is discussed for the Schottky interface, considering the evolution of the Schottky barrier and the interface electronic properties as a function of the alkali metal coverage on GaAs(110). We also present for the monolayer case a detailed discussion of the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic charge neutrality levels. The low coverage regime is analyzed considering electron correlation effects, and we conclude that the IDIS model starts being operative only for coverages larger than 0.25. Below this coverage, the Fermi level in controlled by the adatom donor level.