Switching in m.i.s.m. structures

Switching effects have been observed in metal-thin insulator-semiconductor structures in which a p-n junction is incorporated which plays a central role in the switching phenomenon. In this paper an alternative structure is considered in which the p-n junction is replaced by a Schottky barrier. Although the Schottky barrier is usually considered to be a majority carrier device, minority carrier injection into the semiconductor can occur under certain circumstances. It is the purpose of this paper to examine whether this minority carrier injection is sufficient to cause regenerative switching and to consider the effects on the d.c. switching characteristics of oxide thickness, Schottky-barrier height, and substrate doping density. Comparisons are made between a conventional m.i.s.s. having a p-n junction, and a Schottky-barrier device with similar parameters. Finally, a lateral V-groove structure is proposed as a means of implementing the device and preliminary results reported