The outstanding properties of graphene-insulator-semiconductor (GIS) test structures for photoelectric determination of semiconductor devices band diagram

The energy band diagram is a primary feature of any semiconductor device and determines its physical parameters and practical applicability. The most effective technique of band diagram characterization is the photoelectric measurement based on internal photoemission phenomena in the layered structures. In the technologically important metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures, the most important parameters of the band diagram are barrier heights on both sides of the insulator layer. In this article, we consider graphene-insulator-semiconductor (GIS) structures in which the graphene replaces metal as the gate material. Using graphene layer as the gate of the structure facilitates direct measurements of the photocurrent due to hole emission from the substrate into the insulator, allowing determination of the barrier height for holes. Having also measured the barrier height for electrons emitted from the substrate into the insulator the direct determination of the insulator band gap is possible.