Electric Breakdown in Polycrystalline Semiconductors With Highly Nonlinear $I-V$ Characteristics: Simulations for Simple Barrier Height Models

Authors: H. E. YILDIRIM, B. TANATAR, E. CANESSA

Abstract: An extension of the Canessa and Nguyen binary model for the nonlinear current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of polycrystalline semiconductors, based on the electrical properties of individual grains, is presented. Simple analytical models for the nonuniform distribution of barrier heights at grain boundaries are assumed. The set of nonlinear Kirchhoff equations, that determine the macroscopic current across the specimen, and the nonlinearity coefficient \alpha are solved numerically. The applied voltage dependence of the barrier height models gives \alpha values reaching \approx 50, indicating high nonlinearity as required by potential commercial applications. %\pacs{PACS numbers:\ 72.20.Ht, 85.30.Mn, 85.20.Ea}

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