The calculation of electronic parameters of an Au/ β-carotene/n-Si Schottky barrier diode

Abstract

An Au/ β-carotene/n-Si Schottky barrier diode has been fabricated by adding a solution of the non-polymeric organic compound β-carotene in chloroform on top of an n-Si substrate, and then evaporating the solvent. The β-carotene/n-Si contact shows rectifying behaviour and the reverse curves exhibit a weak bias voltage dependence. The barrier height and ideality factor values of 0.80 eV and 1.32, respectively for this structure, have been obtained from the forward bias current–voltage ( I–V) characteristics. The energy distribution of the interface state density located in the inorganic semiconductor band gap at the organic compound/inorganic semiconductor interface in the energy range ( E c–0.76) to ( E c-0.53) eV have been determined from the I– V characteristics. The interface state density N ss ranges from 5.84×10 12 cm −2 eV −1 in ( E c-0.76) eV to 8.83×10 13 cm −2 eV −1 in ( E c-0.53) eV. The interface state density has an exponential rise with bias from the mid-gap towards the bottom of the conduction band.