Charge transfer on porous silicon membranes studied by current-sensing atomic force microscopy

Abstract

A visible rectification effect on the current–voltage curves of metal/porous silicon/p-silicon has been observed by current-sensing atomic force microscopy. The current–voltage curves of porous silicon membranes with different porosities, prepared through variation of etching current density for a constant time, indicate that a higher porosity results in a higher resistance and thus a lower rectification, until the current reaches a threshold at a porosity >55%. We propose that the conductance mode in the porous silicon membrane with porosities >55% is mainly a hopping mechanism between nano-crystallites and an inverse static electric field between the porous silicon and p-Si interface blocks the electron injection from porous silicon to p-Si, but with porosities ≤55%, electron flows through a direct continuous channel between nano-crystallites.