Effect of silicidation on the electrical characteristics of polycrystalline-SiGe Schottky diode

Schottky diodes with good rectifying characteristics have been fabricated on the polycrystalline silicon–germanium (poly-Si1 − xGex) thin film, deposited by the ion-beam-sputtering (IBS) technique. The influence of the Ge mole fraction and annealing condition on the electrical characteristics of a NiSi-Schottky diode grown on poly-Si1 − xGex film has been studied. NiSi-Schottky diodes are characterized in the temperature range of 125–300 K for the determination of Schottky barrier height (SBH), ideality factor (n), and interface–surface–grain-boundary state density (Dit). The current–voltage (I–V) characteristics have also been simulated in SEMICAD device simulator, by incorporating a modified poly-grain growth and mobility model of poly-SiGe material system to predict the effect of annealing temperature on the electrical properties of poly-Si1 − xGex Schottky diode.