A self-consistent computer simulation of compound semiconductor metal-insulator-semiconductor <i>C</i>-<i>V</i> curves based on the disorder-induced gap-state model

Abstract

Compound semiconductor metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitance-voltage (C-V) curves are simulated on a computer, assuming the presence of a disorder-induced gap-state (DIGS) continuum near the interface in which bonding and antibonding states are distributed both in space and in energy around a particular charge neutrality point, EHO . A program based on Shockley–Read–Hall statistics is developed and applied to simulate a set of experimental MIS C-V curves measured on Al2 O3 /native oxide/InP MIS capacitors. By assuming a particular type of energy and spatial distribution of DIGS continuum and a suitable single set of dynamic parameters, the simulation can completely and self-consistently reproduce the experimental MIS C-V curves with complex hysteresis behavior, which varies with the bias amplitude and swing speed. The excellent agreement between theory and experiment supports the DIGS model. The danger involved in simply applying Terman’s method to determine an Nss distribution is pointed out. A quick procedure for reasonably accurate Nss measurement is suggested.