The microscopic model of Fermi level pinning in ionized cluster beam deposited Ag/n-Si Schottky structures

At metal-semiconductor interfaces, the Fermi level is usually found "pinned" in the bandgap. Schottky barriers of Ag/n-Si structures deposited by the ionized cluster beam (ICB) technique show a similar Fermi level pinning behaviour with respect to the metal atom acceleration voltage. We propose a simple model for the density of interface states at the disordered interface in an ICB Schottky structure. The Fermi level position inside the semiconductor bandgap is calculated as a function of increasing disorder. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.