ABSTRACT
This chapter shows how microelectronic devices can be fabricated in the semiconductor materials, and starts with a discussion of a component which is found in all devices—the metal—semiconductor contact. It considers the structure and properties of these contacts in some detail because it is becoming clear that the chemistry of, and density of crystalline defects in, the interface regions play an important part in determining their electrical properties. The structure and electronic properties of the interfaces produced by the deposition of a thin metal film on a semiconductor surface have been intensively studied since the discovery of transistor properties in semiconductors. The chapter argues that simple transistor devices can be built up from combinations of a few basic components: metal-semiconductor contacts, p-n junctions in the semiconductor material itself and oxide-semiconductor interfaces. It provides a brief description of several of the most important processes involved in the production of a semiconductor device or circuit.
