Contributions to the theory of heterogeneous barrier layer rectifiers

Assuming an arbitrary distribution of space charge in the barrier layer of a rectifier, the general form of the current-voltage relation has been derived on both diode and diffusion theory. A connexion, valid for most barriers, between this characteristic and the capacitance-voltage curve has been pointed out, and it has been shown that the Sachs breakdown voltage can be deduced from the latter characteristic. The general relations have been applied to a barrier whose distribution of impurity centres is assumed to establish itself by a diffusion process. Its properties have been investigated, and it has been found that the shapes of the experimental d. c. characteristics, considered in a previous paper (Landsberg 1951b), are in the same good agreement with the hypothesis of this barrier as they are with the hypothesis of a Schottky barrier. The difficulties regarding the constants of the rectifiers, as obtained from the experimental curves, are, however, greatly alleviated if the present barriers rather than Schottky’s barrier is assumed. It has been shown that both barriers belong to a whole class of barrier layers whose d. c. and capacitance-voltage curves have the same shape as the corresponding curves for a Schottky barrier.