Evaluation of the current transport mechanism depending on the temperature of Schottky structures with Ti:DLC interlayer

Abstract

This study emphasizes the possible current transport mechanisms (CTMs) of the Schottky structure with Ti:DLC interlayer for a wide temperature interval (80–470 K). In the related temperature interval, the ideality factor (n) and barrier height (ΦBo) values changed from 6.95 to 2.28 and 0.19 to 0.87 eV, respectively. These temperature dependent n and ΦBo values show that the CTM deviates significantly from the standard TE theory and that the barrier at the metal/semiconductor interface is not homogeneous. Additionally, the observed deviation from linearity of the Richardson plot (RP) at low temperatures and obtained very low Richardson constant (A*) at higher temperatures when compared to its theoretical value are other evidence of deviation from TE theory. The observed two separate linear in the ΦBo-e/2kT plot reveal the Double-Gaussian distribution (DGD) corresponding low and moderate temperature intervals. The modified RP based on the GD of the BH gives a closer to the theoretical value of A* . Along with CTM analyses, the structure’s series resistance (RS) was estimated via both Ohm’s law and Cheung functions. Finally, the Card-Rhoderick method was applied to achieve the variations of the interface trap density (Dit) depending on energy for each temperature by considering voltage-dependent n and ΦB.