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Determination of Surface Space Charge Density on Semiconductor from Displacement Current-Voltage Curve using a Scanning Vibrating Probe
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 March 2011
Abstract
A determination method of the local surface space charge density in thin films on semiconductor surfaces is described. In this method, the displacement current and the tunneling current flow periodically in accordance with the perpendicular vibration of the probe of the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The external circuit current is separated into the mean displacement current and the mean tunneling current by using the two-phase lock-in amplifier. The displacement current-probe voltage curve of a p-type silicon with a native oxide layer was measured in a vacuum (>3×10−9 torr). The displacement current-voltage curve has been analyzed taking into account surface space charge. The theoretical displacement current-voltage curve has been fitted to the measurement in order to obtain both the local surface space charge density and the surface potential difference of thin films, and the theory is in good agreement with the measurement in both voltage regions where the majority carriers are accumulated and depleted. We also demonstrate a simple determination method of both the surface space charge density and the surface potential difference of thin films from flat-band conditions in the displacement current-voltage curve.
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- Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002