Theory and computation of thermal-field emission from semiconductors

Abstract

Semiconducting field emitters present some interesting features (e.g., self-limited electron emission) for both scientific interest and industrial applications. The analysis of experimental results and device design has been restrained by the lack of accurate 3D models for the simulation of thermal-field emission from semiconductors. Here, we review and correct the equations of field emission from semiconductors and include them to expand GETELEC (General Tool for Electron Emission Calculations). Our method covers all electron emission regimes (field, thermal, and intermediate), aiming to maximize the calculation accuracy while minimizing the computational cost. GETELEC-2.0 is able to reproduce the characteristic non-linear I-V curves in Fowler–Nordheim coordinates obtained from semiconductors, giving insights about their nature, as well as providing an explanation to the lack of experimental observation of the field emitted valence band electrons from semiconductors.