Richardson constant of Al- and Au-GaAs Schottky barrier diodes

Abstract
The Richardson constant of Al‐ and Au‐nGaAs Schottky barrier diodes of low doping concentration has been determined from the measured forward IV characteristics. Richardson constants higher than the theoretical are related to the presence of an additional majority‐carrier current caused by recombination of electrons at traps at the metal‐semiconductor interface. The data shows that the traps are located approximately 0.75 eV below the conduction band and are in equilibrium with the metal.