Influence of strong electric field on the interface in the Al-SiO sub(2)-n-Si Auger transistor

• Published in: Microelectronics 2000-12, Vol.31 (11-12), p.905-911
• Main Authors: Rogachev, A A, Kalganov, V D, Mileshkina, N V, Ostroumova, E V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0026-2692

The influence of the strong electric field on electron emission from semiconductor surfaces was investigated. We have measured a tunnel electron emission from the metal to the semiconductor in metal-insulator-semiconductor heterostructures with a tunnel transparent insulator layer. A tunnel electron emission from semiconductor tips to vacuum was also investigated. Semiconductor tip field emitters make the investigation of the semiconductor surface at extremely strong electric field possible. On the other hand the investigation of metal-insulator-semiconductor heterostructures allows to realize the emission of hot electrons from the metal to the semiconductor, and enables the creation of Auger transistor based on the Al-SiO sub(2)-n-Si heterojunctions. This is one of the fastest operating semiconductor bipolar transistors. The estimations show that metal-insulator-semiconductor Auger transistor based on the Ga-In-As-Sb solid solution with varying composition makes it possible to increase the highest operation frequency of the Auger transistor up to ten times compared with the silicon based Auger transistor, and in effect approaches the highest frequency of more than 10 super(-12) s.