In this work, the theory of internal photoemission is reviewed and extended for the special case of platinum silicide Schottky barrier infrared photodiodes. Vickers' model of hot-electron-mode photodetection is recast in terms of hot-holes, and the effects of carrier energy loss due to phonon collisions, as well as the depletion of the occupation of the emitting states due to emission are included. The optical absorption of the Schottky diodes is measured and used to relate the quantum efficiency of the diodes to the internal yield as calculated from the model. By including the effects of the carrier energy loss due to phonon collisions and the depletion of the occupation of the emitting states in the model, one can resolve previously unexplained anomalies in the photoresponse data (the shape of the Fowler plots, the absolute magnitude of the yield, and the difference between the optical and thermal barriers). Independent estimates are obtained for the mean-free-path between hot-hole/phonon, hot-hole/cold-electron, and hot-hole/imperfection collisions as well as the mean phonon energy, mean transmission coefficient across the Schottky barrier, and the Fermi energy. The model is found to be in excellent agreement with the experimental data for parameter values consistent with those reported in the literature. Some degree of correlation is found to exist between the one free variable for each diode and the processing used for that diode. Namely, the temperature of the substrate during deposition is correlated with the value of the mean-free-path between imperfection scattering events.

Thesis (M.S. in Electrical Engineering)--Vanderbilt University, 2003. / Title from PDF title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S. )--Youngstown State University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-69).

This thesis investigates the use of an avalanche Platinum Silicide (PtSi) Schottky Barrier Diode as a detector in fiber optic communication systems for the 1.3 to 1.5 mum spectral region. The avalanche process is used to amplify the signal prior to electrical interfacing in order to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio. The amount of multiplication is predicted by the impact ionization coefficients for electrons and holes, alpha and beta, respectively. By using PtSi Schottky diodes, where alpha > beta, pure electron injection can be accomplished by irradiating with photons of energy psi hnu Eg (where psi is the Schottky Barrier height and Eg is the bandgap of silicon), thus maximizing multiplication and minimizing noise. An alternative means for avalanching involves the quantum effects of impurity-band ionization. By using a heavily doped semiconductor and operating at low temperatures, one can achieve noise-free gain at lower electric field strengths. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)

An experimental and theoretical analysis of the effects of ion bombardment on Schottky diodes is presented. The experimentally observed shifts in diode performance are compared to the conditions of ion exposure. These experiments show that Schottky diodes exposed to ion beams show decreases in effective barrier heights and ideality factors, as well as increased incidence of premature reverse breakdown. The change in barrier height is found to be proportional to the energy of the individual ions and the total number of ions delivered to the surface. A numerical simulation of the damage process and device performance is developed. The model considers only the effect of ion exposure on the potential distribution within the metal-semiconductor junction. Comparison of experimental and modelled barrier shifts shows fair agreement, suggesting that enhancement of tunnelling currents is the dominant mechanism for barrier lowering.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Physics / Master / Master of Philosophy

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2004. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xv, 150 p.; also includes graphics (some col.). Includes abstract and vita. Advisor: Jonathan P. Pelz, Dept. of Physics. Includes bibliographical references (p. 144-150).

Thesis (M.S.)--Youngstown State University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-67). Also available via the World Wide Web in PDF format.

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Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2005. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references.