Vertical p-type GaN Schottky barrier diodes with nearly ideal thermionic emission characteristics

Abstract

We demonstrate herein the fabrication and operation of p-type GaN Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) with nearly ideal rectifying characteristics using vertical bottom tunneling junction contacts. The interface between Ni and p-type GaN provides a large Schottky barrier height of 2.29 eV, which is promising for high-temperature operations. The vertical p-type GaN SBDs show nearly ideal rectifying characteristics with an ideality factor close to unity and a rectifying ratio as high as 106, even at 600 K. This distinguished performance indicates the superiority of p-type GaN SBDs for electron devices operated under high-temperature environments.