Current simulation of symmetric contacts on CdTe

This article presents the calculated current–voltage characteristics of symmetric Metal–Semiconductor–Metal 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 I–V curves cannot be considered a proof of the ohmicity of the contacts. It is shown that the linear I–V 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 bulk's resistivity from the I–V curves may be false.