Current simulation of symmetric contacts on CdTe

This article presents the calculated currentvoltage characteristics of symmetric MetalSemiconductorMetal configurations for Schottky, Ohmic, and injecting-Ohmic contacts on high resistivity CdTe. The results clearly demonstrate that in the wide band-gap, semi-insulating semiconductors, such as high resistivity CdTe, the linearity of the IV curves cannot be considered a proof of the ohmicity of the contacts. It is shown that the linear IV curves are expected for a wide range of contact barriers. Furthermore, the slope of these linear curves is governed by the barrier height, rather than the bulk doping concentration. Therefore the deduction of bulks resistivity from the IV curves may be false.