Analytical Model of $I$– $V$ Characteristics of Arbitrarily Shallow p-n Junctions

For the first time, an analytical model of arbitrarily shallow p-n junctions is presented. Depending on the junction depth, electrical characteristics of ultrashallow p-n junctions can vary from the characteristics of standard Schottky diodes to standard deep p-n junctions. This model successfully unifies the standard Schottky and p-n diode expressions. In the crossover region, where the shallow doping region can be totally depleted, electrical characteristics phenomenologically substantially different from typical diode characteristics are predicted. These predictions and the accuracy of the presented model are evaluated by comparison with the MEDICI simulations. Furthermore, ultrashallow n⁺-p diodes were fabricated, and the anomalous behavior in the crossover regime was experimentally observed.