Abstract
IN the preparation and application of p-n junctions in germanium and similar materials, it is often important to locate the potential barrier precisely in order to attach electrodes or probes near by. Such a barrier is, in general, not visible, as the crystalline structure of the material on either side of it is identical, that is, a single crystal of germanium of high purity and with a high degree of perfection throughout. The fact that one part (the n-type region) conducts by electrons in the conduction band and the other (the p-type) in the valency band, that is, by ‘holes’, cannot be shown up by any of the standard metallographic techniques. The usual method of locating the barrier, namely, by electrical probing along the surface, is not very satisfactory.
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BILLIG, E., DOWD, J. p-n Junction revealed by Electrolytic Etching. Nature 172, 115 (1953). https://doi.org/10.1038/172115a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/172115a0
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