A theoretical analysis together with experimental data of inhomogeneous Schottky barrier diodes

We have shown that the current at lower temperatures may exceed the current at higher temperatures using the approximation of the apparent BH in the inhomogeneous SDs, as determined by some authors in the literature. Then, in the simulated forward I-V curves of non-interactive inhomogeneous SDs using the approximation of the apparent BH, it has been showed that the current at lower temperatures does not exceed the current at higher temperatures when considering the bias voltage dependence of apparent BH. In the calculations, the parameters from the experimental forward bias I-V characteristics, in the temperature range of 60-300 K, of the Ni/n-GaAs Schottky contacts with the inhomogeneous BH have been used by means of the thermionic emission theory of inhomogeneous Schottky contacts, considering a Gaussian distribution of barrier heights with a linear bias dependence. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.