A novel self-consistent simulator for current-density-voltage characteristics of semiconductor field emitters

An efficient and reliable simulator has been developed which solves the Poisson, continuity, and Schrodinger equations self-consistently to obtain the current-density-voltage characteristics of n-type semiconductor field emitters of electrons. The one-dimensional simulator takes into account the multidimensional geometry dependent-field variation near the semiconductor tip. The results obtained show the effects of the semiconductor parameters such as electron affinity, effective mass, mobility, and dielectric constant on the emission characteristics. The doping concentration is found to have a strong influence on the emitted current. The emission characteristics show deviations from linearity in a Fowler-Nordheim-type plot especially at high currents. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(98)03810-8].