Hey everyone, I would like to check to see if my understanding of the ideality factor is correct.

I think the value the ideality factor is close to 1 for the schottky/p-n diode. Am I correct in saying that the surface states (such as the interface between the semiconductor and metal for the schottky diode) are the main cause for an increase in the ideality factor?

Also, does an ideality factor of 2 mean that the recombination of electrons takes longer than for when n=1?

Thanks!

 

Hi, I just came across your post.

I think you are correct in practice being in agreement with SNS and SRH. The discussion can be more generalized (depending on particular interests) as the diode equation only says (in termas of the ideality factor) the current is exponentially propotinal to V/n.