Interface state density of free-standing GaN Schottky diodes

Abstract

Schottky diodes were fabricated on the HVPE-grown, free-standing gallium nitride (GaN) layers of n- and p-types. Both contacts (ohmic and Schottky) were deposited on the top surface using Al/Ti and Pd/Ti/Au, respectively. The Schottky diode fabricated on n-GaN exhibited double barriers with values of 0.9 and 0.6 eV and better performance in the rectification factor together with reverse and forward currents with an ideality factor of 1.8. The barrier height for the p-GaN Schottky diode is 0.6 eV with an ideality factor of 4.16. From the capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurement, the net doping concentration of n-GaN is 4 × 1017 cm−3, resulting in a lower reverse breakdown of around −12 V. The interface state density (NSS) as a function of EC−ESS is found to be in the range 4.23 × 1012–3.87 × 1011 eV−1 cm−2 (below the conduction band) from Ec-0.90 to EC-0.99. Possible reasons responsible for the low barrier height and high ideality factor have been addressed.