Metal Contact

The node is used for modeling metal-semiconductor contacts.

The subnode (it is of the exclusive type) is available from the context menu (right-click the parent node) or on the toolbar, click the menu and select .

Terminal

Specify the terminal properties. To indicate which boundaries belong to the same terminal, enter the same name in the field. The should be numeric for sweeps to work properly.

Select a — (the default), , or . Select:

•

to enter an electric potential V0 (SI unit: V). The default is 0 V.

•

to enter a current I0 (SI unit: A). The default is zero current, corresponding to an open circuit.

•

to specify a terminal connected to an external circuit, where the external circuit acts as a current source for the semiconductor model.

•

to specify a terminal connected to an external circuit, where the external circuit acts as a voltage source for the semiconductor model.

•

to enter a current P0 (SI unit: W). The default is zero power, corresponding to an open circuit.

Contact resistance

Select the check box (default is disabled) to add an infinitesimally thin resistive layer, and then enter the ρc (SI unit: Ω m2). The default is 1e-8[ohm*cm^2].

Contact Type

Select a — (the default) or .

•

Use the option for a nonrectifying metal-semiconductor junction, that is a contact with negligible resistance relative to the total resistance of the modeled semiconductor device.

•

Use the option for a simple rectifying metal-semiconductor junction, that is, when the current-voltage characteristics at the interface depend on the potential barrier formed at the junction. For this option, surface recombination effects and surface charge densities associated with surface traps can be included in the model by adding Trap-Assisted Surface Recombination boundary conditions to the same boundary selection as the Metal Contact boundary condition.

Contact properties

This section is available if is selected as the contact .

Choose between an (the default) and definition of the .

For the barrier height, the default Φ (SI unit: V) is 4.5 V. The metal work function is the difference in energy between the vacuum level and the conduction band at equilibrium in the metal in contact with the semiconductor. The ideal barrier height is given by the difference between the metal work function and the electron affinity of the semiconductor.

For the barrier height, enter a value for the ΦB (SI unit: V). In this case, the metal work function is not used.

Thermionic Currents

This section is available if is selected as the contact .

Select the — (the default) or .

For enter an:

•

An*(SI unit: A/(m2⋅K2)). The default constant is 110 A/(K⋅cm)2 for silicon.

•

Ap* (SI unit: A/(m2⋅K2)). The default constant is 90 A/(K⋅cm)2 for silicon.

For enter a:

•

Vs,n (SI unit: m/s). The default is 21,605 m/s for silicon.