Band bending in a thin film semiconductor

[fuelcell]

Hello!

There're very thin (4-15 nm) semiconductor films (passive film) formed on stainless steel by electrochemical method. In a electrochemical cell, I applied potential on stainless steel electrode to adjust Fermi level of the semiconductor passive film. I think that band bending take place in the semiconductor passive film (at the interface of passive film/electrolyte solution).

However, one of my friend think there would be no band bending in the thin layer (4-15 nm level), due to the nano-scale.

I think there's band bending take places. But I don't know his view point is right or not, please help me. Appreciate all answers!

 

[berkeman]

Hello!

There're very thin (4-15 nm) semiconductor films (passive film) formed on stainless steel by electrochemical method. In a electrochemical cell, I applied potential on stainless steel electrode to adjust Fermi level of the semiconductor passive film. I think that band bending take place in the semiconductor passive film (at the interface of passive film/electrolyte solution).

However, one of my friend think there would be no band bending in the thin layer (4-15 nm level), due to the nano-scale.

I think there's band bending take places. But I don't know his view point is right or not, please help me. Appreciate all answers!

Sounds more like schoolwork than a friendly debate at the local pub. We don't answer schoolwork questions here for you, but can try to help if you seem to have done much of the work.

What course is this for? What is your textbook, and what other learning resources are you given in the course? Is this a lab class, or mostly textbook-based?

What semiconductor are you using, at what doping level, and how are you making contact to it?

 

[fuelcell]

Thank you, Berkeman.

It's a stainless steel corrosion research in a lab. The passive films consist of Fe/Cr oxide, behave n-type semiconductor. One side of the passive film contact with stainless steel, the other side contact with aqueous solution. According to the Mott-Schottky measurement result, band bending must take place at the interface. The carrier density is 10E20-10E21 cm-3 level.

I don't know if there's a theory supporting his view point - band bending can not take place in a thin layer semiconductor due to the nano-scale.