SiSn diodes: Theoretical analysis and experimental verification

Abstract

We report a theoretical analysis and experimental verification of change in band gap of silicon lattice due to the incorporation of tin (Sn). We formed SiSn ultra-thin film on the top surface of a 4 in. silicon wafer using thermal diffusion of Sn. We report a reduction of 0.1-V in the average built-in potential, and a reduction of 0.2-V in the average reverse bias breakdown voltage, as measured across the substrate. These reductions indicate that the band gap of the silicon lattice has been reduced due to the incorporation of Sn, as expected from the theoretical analysis. We report the experimentally calculated band gap of SiSn to be 1.11±0.09 eV. This low-cost, CMOS compatible, and scalable process offers a unique opportunity to tune the band gap of silicon for specific applications.