Abstract
Electrophoretic deposition of palladium nanoparticles prepared by the reverse micelle technique onto InP substrates is addressed. We demonstrate that the substrate pre-deposition treatment and the deposition conditions can extensively influence the morphology of the deposited palladium nanoparticle films. Schottky diodes based on these films show notably high values of the barrier height and of the rectification ratio giving evidence of a small degree of the Fermi level pinning. Moreover, electrical characteristics of these diodes are exceptionally sensitive to the exposure to gas mixtures with small hydrogen content.
Highlights
Metal nanoparticles (MNPs) form a bridge between bulk materials and atomic or molecular structures
The Fermi level pinning (FLP) leads to low Schottky barrier heights (SBH) on n-type III-Vs, which are metal independent when prepared by standard evaporation techniques [4]
We report on the preparation of Schottky barriers on InP substrates with increased SBHs by the electrophoretic deposition of palladium nanoparticles (NPs)
Summary
Metal nanoparticles (MNPs) form a bridge between bulk materials and atomic or molecular structures. We report on the preparation of Schottky barriers on InP substrates with increased SBHs by the electrophoretic deposition of palladium nanoparticles (NPs). We demonstrate their application in hydrogen sensors. Hydrogen molecules are adsorbed at the metal surface and partly dissociated into atoms These atoms can diffuse through the metal to the interface with a semiconductor changing the SBH and the electrical properties of the structure. Selected layers were contacted by the spots of a graphite colloid paint These structures were further characterized by the measurement of current-voltage characteristics and their detection toward hydrogen was tested in a cell with a through-flow gas system
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