GaP Surface-Barrier Diodes

Abstract

Surface‐barrier diodes have been formed by depositing vaporized metals onto chemically cleaned GaP. Detailed studies of diodes made with gold on p‐type GaP show that current flow is by the Schottky emission of hot holes from the gold over the barrier at the metal‐semiconductor interface. The barrier properties deduced from the current‐voltage properties were checked by capacitance‐voltage and photoresponse studies. With the junction biased in avalanche breakdown, electrons were emitted through the gold film into vacuum, and were studied as a function of junction bias, film thickness, and retarding potential. It was found that the distribution of hot electrons in GaP has a Maxwellian temperature of 0.8 V, and that the attenuation length for 4.7‐ to 9‐V electrons in gold is 130±40 Å.