Increase In Barrier Height Research Articles

Electronic Barriers Behavioral Analysis of a Schottky Diode Structure Featuring Two-Dimensional MoS2

This research presents a comprehensive study of a Schottky diode fabricated using a gold wafer and a bilayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) film. Through detailed simulations, we investigated the electric field distribution, potential profile, carrier concentration, and current–voltage characteristics of the device. Our findings confirm the successful formation of a Schottky barrier at the Au/MoS2 interface, characterized by a distinct nonlinear I–V relationship. Comparative analysis revealed that the Au/MoS2 diode significantly outperforms a traditional W/Si structure in terms of rectification performance. The Au/MoS2 diode exhibited a current density of 1.84 × 10−9 A/cm2, substantially lower than the 3.62 × 10−5 A/cm2 in the W/Si diode. Furthermore, the simulated I–V curves of the Au/MoS2 diode closely resembled the ideal diode curve, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of approximately 0.9991, indicating an ideality factor near 1. A key factor contributing to the superior rectification performance of the Au/MoS2 diode is its higher Schottky barrier height of 0.9 eV compared to the 0.67 eV of W/Si. This increased barrier height is evident in the band diagram analysis, which further elucidates the underlying physics of Schottky barrier formation in the Au/MoS2 junction. This research provides insights into the electronic properties of Schottky contacts based on two-dimensional MoS2, particularly the relationship between electronic barriers, system dimensions, and current flow. The demonstration of high-ideality-factor Au/MoS2 diodes contributes to the design and optimization of future electronic and optoelectronic devices based on 2D materials. These findings have implications for advancements in semiconductor technology, potentially enabling the development of smaller, more efficient, and flexible devices.

Resonant tunneling properties of laser dressed hyperbolic Pöschl-Teller double barrier potential

We examine the resonant tunneling properties of the laser-dressed hyperbolic Pöschl-Teller double quantum barrier structure. We use the non-equilibrium Green's function method to investigate structure parameters and electric field bias on the transmission properties of the system. The transmission probabilities and resonance energy levels are significantly influenced by the well widths and barrier heights. The barrier height increases, resonance energy levels shift toward higher values, and the resonance peak width narrows, leading to sharper and more selective tunneling behavior. Our results show that increasing the electric field bias leads to a decrease in the transmission probability at the first resonance peak, but this effect is not as strong for the subsequent peaks. Moreover, we find that changes in the laser field's parameter and structure parameters allow for fine control over the electronic spectra, allowing for modifications like red or blue shifts based on particular needs. The significance of comprehending the interaction among structural factors, external fields, and transmission qualities in quantum barrier structures is highlighted by our research, providing valuable information for the development and enhancement of electronic and optoelectronic systems with customized functionality. Our findings show the laser field has a considerable impact on resonant tunneling properties, opening the door to new device applications.

Effect of CaCO3, SrCO3 and BaCO3 additions on the microstructure and electrical characteristics of SnO2-based varistor ceramics

The ceramic varistors SnO2–Co3O4–Nb2O5–Cr2O3 with the addition of CaCO3, SrCO3 or BaCO3 were sintered at temperatures 1250 and 1350°C, then their structures and electrical properties were studied. In all samples, the SnO2 cassiterite phase with a rutile-type structure and the Co2SnO4 phase with a spinel-type structure were observed. All materials exhibited a highly nonlinear dependence of the current density on the electric field with the nonlinearity coefficient 24–50. When alkaline earth metal carbonates were added, the grain size of all samples decreased and the electric field E1 increased. The addition of CaCO3 lead to the decrease of the low-field electrical conductivity of varistors. The lowest low-field conductivities 4·10-13 and 6·10-13 Ω-1 cm-1 were found in the samples with CaCO3 addition baked at 1250 and 1350°C, respectively. The observed effect is due to the increase of the potential barrier height at the SnO2 grain boundaries by 7 and 13%, respectively, and the decrease of the grain size by 26 and 28% compared to SnO2-based varistor ceramics without CaCO3 addition.

Sensitivity of AERMOD (V21112) RLINEXT dispersion model outputs by source type to variability in single noise barrier height and separation distance

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) introduced the RLINEXT modeling feature in the latest versions of AERMOD (since version v21112) to predict traffic-induced pollutant concentration when noise barriers are present. The research presented in this paper explores the impacts of noise barrier characteristics on AERMOD-predicted concentrations. The research finds that because AERMOD can currently only attach one barrier to each road side, and because that barrier only impacts the source to which it is attached, it is also important to split links so that they properly pair with barriers. Given the sensitivity of AERMOD-predicted concentrations to barrier characteristics (i.e., barrier heights and distances to roadway), the research also concludes that barriers must be appropriately matched with input links. This study investigated the sensitivity of CO concentration predicted by the latest AERMOD under various noise barrier conditions (barrier heights and distances between road and barrier) and meteorological conditions (wind directions and wind speeds). The results indicate that ground-level concentration of downwind receptors decreases with increased barrier heights, and that distant barriers have less of an impact on predicted concentrations. This study also explored the impact of noise barrier on both horizontal and vertical concentration profiles, indicating that concentrations rise behind the barrier as plumes are predicted to loft over the barrier. The sensitivity analysis associated with splitting roadway links to match with barriers indicated an impact on predicted concentration for certain receptors of up to 10%, but the overall the impact on maximum concentrations was marginal.

Transmission coefficient and probability of intersubband transitions in [formula omitted] superlattices: Effect of non-parabolicity

Our study investigates optical transition energies in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum multiwell infrared photodetectors. These devices exploit transitions within subbands, necessitating accurate theoretical predictions to optimize their performance. We first determine the energetic positions of conduction minibands and investigate how band non-parabolicity influences the width of these minibands. Furthermore, we analyze the impact of non-parabolicity on transition probabilities within the quantum wells. Additionally, our study explores the transmission coefficient, which exhibits a decrease with increasing barrier height. This phenomenon affects electron transmission efficiency and is associated with quantum reflection processes. Higher barrier heights require greater energy for electrons to traverse, influencing device functionality. Understanding these factors is crucial for advancing the design and performance of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum multiwell photodetectors, offering insights into their operational limits and potential optimizations.

Modelling and Analysis of Inhomogeneous Back-to-Back Schottky Junction Diode

Back-to-back Schottky diode (BBSD) is a simple device structure made from Schottky junctions that can be applied in various applications. In modelling and simulating the BBSD, the inhomogeneity of the barrier height at the Schottky interface should be considered. This paper presents device models and simulation result of an inhomogeneous BBSD. Two device models with different current spreading condition are considered. The distribution of the inhomogeneous barrier height is represented by Gaussian distribution. All the computation was done using Python programming software. When the standard deviation of the barrier height increases, the apparent barrier height that influence the electrical characteristic decreased. This is consistent with the reported experimental data. Device model that considers full current spreading showed 37.8% reduction of apparent barrier height at standard deviation of 100 meV. This is greater that the model with no current spreading. The ideality factor showed correlation with the standard deviation of barrier height, particularly when no current spreading is considered. At standard deviation of 100 meV, the ideality factor increased 2.6 %. The obtained non-unity ideality factor is associated to the significant fluctuation in the barrier height. The computed temperature-dependent current curves also showed good agreement with the reported experimental results. The device model can be a convenient tool to investigate the device operation and to validate the method used for extraction of Schottky barrier parameters.

Optical Properties of Three‐Electron GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs QDs with Finite Confinement Potential

AbstractIn the case of finite confinement potential, the average energies and corresponding wave functions for the 1s2nl configurations, in which nl = 2s, 2p, 3d, and 4f, of three‐electron GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs quantum dot with and without impurity are computed by using a new variational approach which is a combination of Quantum Genetic Algorithm procedure and Hartree–Fock–Roothaan method. Using the calculated average energies and wave functions, a detailed investigation of the linear, third‐order nonlinear and total absorption coefficients (ACs) and the refractive index changes (RICs) for the quantum dot is performed, and the obtained results are presented as a function of dot radius and photon energies. The results show that the dot radius, the impurity charge, and the height of potential barrier have a strong influence on the average energies and absorption spectra of the system. As the potential barrier height increases, the peak positions of the ACs and RICs shift toward higher energy, and there is a significant increase in the amplitudes of the absorption spectra as the potential barrier height increases. In addition, the electron wave functions begin to enter the quantum well at smaller dot radii with increasing barrier height.

Efficient generation of barrier crossing trajectories using approximate Brownian bridges.

We examine continuous random walks that are conditioned to reach one region before another. These conditioned processes are used to generate stochastic trajectories for barrier crossing events, which are generally rare and difficult to sample. The processes are generated using a Brownian bridge technique, resulting in near perfect sampling efficiency without accruing error in the conditional statistics of the process. The construction requires the hitting probability or committer function, which is a solution to the backward Fokker-Planck equation, a partial-differential equationthat can be difficult to solve through general means. Therefore, we derive a one-dimensional approximation through asymptotic methods for barrier crossing trajectories. We show that this approximation has a simple analytical representation and approaches the true solution as the barrier height increases. Brownian bridge trajectories generated with this approximate solution are then shown to result in accurate conditional statistics when used in conjunction with importance sampling, even in the case when potential energy barriers are not large. We show this idea's effectiveness by simulating rare events in a stochastic chemical reaction network (Schögl reaction) with multiple steady states. This methodology shows great promise for future implementation to simulate rare barrier crossing events for a wide variety of physical processes.

Upper-Extremity Injuries in a Level 1 Trauma Center Following Border Wall Height Increase

PurposeFrom 2018-2019, the height of over 400 miles of southern border wall was raised to 30 feet. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of the increase in border wall height on upper extremity injuries sustained via barrier fall. MethodsA retrospective review of patients admitted with upper extremity injuries sustained via border wall fall between January 2015 and December 2022 at a Level 1 trauma center serving the United States- Mexico border. Patients admitted between 2015-2018 were included in the pre-increase group, and those admitted between 2019-2022 were included in the post-increase group. Demographic data, injury severity metrics, fracture characteristics, operative treatments, hospital charges, and lengths of stay were compared. Results110 patients were identified, with 16 pre-increase and 94 post-increase. Following the barrier height increase, patients had higher injury severity scores. Radial fractures were most common pre- and post-increase and accounted for nearly a third of all fractures. Post-increase upper extremity trauma patients required more operative events (2.15 ± 2.10 vs. 1.44 ± 0.73 pre-increase). The average cost for each patient’s hospital stay also quadrupled after the increase in wall height ($397,632 ± $1,057,574 vs. $98,978 ± $84,169 pre-increase). ConclusionsThe increase in overall injury severity and costly inpatient treatment of upper extremity injuries among patients who fell from the border following construction has placed additional stress on an already strained healthcare system.

Enhanced electrical parameters of the Au/n-Si Schottky barrier diodes with graphite/graphane oxide doped PVC interlayer

In this work, Schottky Barrier diodes (SBDs) formed on n-Si substrates were created using polyvinyl-chloride (PVC) and graphite/graphene-oxide (Gt/GO) nanoparticles (NPs) doped PVC interlayers and the conduction mechanisms of the structures were compared to the reference Au/n-Si (MS) diode. The characterization methods, including x-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), and Energy Dispersive x-Ray (EDX), were used to analyze Gt/GO NPs and examine their structural, morphological, and analytical properties. In addition to the standard I-V method, modified Norde and Cheung methods were applied to analyze the forward bias I-V characteristics to determine the impact of pure-PVC and (PVC: Gt-GO) interlayers’ main electronic parameters on the SBDs. The surface state density (N ss ) depending on energy was also determined from the forward bias current–voltage by considering the voltage-dependent ideality coefficient, n(V), and barrier height (BH), ΦB(V). The outcomes showed that, as compared to MS structures, both the pure-PVC and (PVC: Gt-GO) interlayer leads to a decrease of n, leakage-current, N ss , an increase of rectification ratio (RR), shunt-resistance (R sh ) and zero-bias barrier-height (Φ B0 ). The differences in the electronic parameters observed between the I-V, Norde, and Cheung functions indicate that these parameters are highly reliant on the voltage and the computation method utilized. The barrier inhomogeneities at the metal/semiconductor surface also affect the current-transport or conduction mechanisms.

Inhibition of the Early-Stage Cross-Amyloid Aggregation of Amyloid-β and IAPP via EGCG: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) and islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) are small peptides that have the potential to not only self-assemble but also cross-assemble and form cytotoxic amyloid aggregates. Recently, we experimentally investigated the nature of Aβ-IAPP coaggregation and its inhibition by small polyphenolic molecules. Notably, we found that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) had the ability to reduce heteroaggregate formation. However, the precise molecular mechanism behind the reduction of heteroaggregates remains unclear. In this study, the dimerization processes of Aβ40 and IAPP peptides with and without EGCG were characterized by the enhanced sampling technique. Our results showed that these amyloid peptides exhibited a tendency to form a stable heterodimer, which represented the first step toward coaggregation. Furthermore, we also found that the EGCG regulated the dimerization process. In the presence of EGCG, well-tempered metadynamics simulation indicated a notable shift in the bound state toward a greater center of mass (COM) distance. Additionally, the presence of EGCG led to a significant increase in the free energy barrier height (∼15k B T) along the COM distance, and we observed a transition state between the bound and unbound states. Our findings also unveiled that the EGCG formed a greater number of hydrogen bonds with Aβ40, effectively obstructing the dimer formation. In addition, we carried out microseconds of all-atom conventional molecular dynamics (cMD) simulations to investigate the formation of both hetero- and homo-oligomer states by these peptides. MD simulations illustrated that EGCG played a significant role in preventing oligomer formation by reducing the content of β-sheets in the peptide. Collectively, our results offered valuable insight into the mechanism of cross-amyloid aggregation between Aβ40 and IAPP and the inhibition effect of EGCG on the heteroaggregation process.

Efficient and droop-free AlGaN-based UV-C LED using the inverted linearly graded active region and engineered hole source layer

The poor efficiency of the aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN)-based ultraviolet (UV)-C light emitting diode (LED) remains as the major hindrance towards its commercialization. Thus, to enhance the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) and light output power (LOP) and to mitigate the efficiency droop of AlGaN-based UV-C LED, this simulation work proposes and examines a new engineering strategy, i.e., inverted linearly graded quantum wells along with quantum barriers over a series of samples A, B and C. To further improve the characteristics of AlGaN-based UV-C LED, an engineered linearly graded p-AlGaN layer has been proposed in the device structure. This increases the electron and hole concentrations by ∼2-fold and ∼8-fold, respectively. The 1.2-fold reduction in hole effective potential barrier height improves the hole injection. Also, the 1.5-fold increase in electron effective potential barrier height limits electron spill-off from the active region. The proposed structural-engineering reduces quantum confined stark effect (QCSE) confirmed by the reduction of quantum well slopes. Reducing carrier spill-off and QCSE increases average radiative recombination rate by ∼8-fold. The maximum IQE is improved by ∼44 % and the efficiency droop is also reduced to a promising level of ∼2 % in case of the sample under consideration. Finally, the LOP increases 10-fold, promisingly. Thus, the proposed structure is supposed to be highly potential for improving the UV-C LED performance. The electroluminescence spectra show that despite the gradual differences introduced in the structure, all the samples emit at ∼276 nm with similar full width at half maximum providing a reference for the comparison.

Carrier transport simulation methods for electronic devices with coexistence of quantum transport and diffusive transport

In this manuscript, carrier transport simulation methods are proposed for devices with the coexistence of quantum transport and diffusive transport by combining the nonequilibrium Green's function method with the drift-diffusion transport simulation method. Current continuity between quantum transport and drift-diffusion transport is ensured by setting quantum transport current as the connection boundary condition of drift-diffusion simulation or by introducing quantum transport-induced carrier generation rates to drift-diffusion simulation. A comprehensive study of our method and the method combining the Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) method with the drift-diffusion transport simulation method is performed for n-type tunnel oxide passivating contact solar cell to investigate their applicable conditions and balance the accuracy and computational cost. As the oxide barrier width, barrier height, and electron effective mass increase, or the doping concentration in the electron transport layer decreases to the extent that the blocking effect of the oxide barrier on light-generated electrons becomes significant, method I is more accurate since the transmission coefficient near the conduction band edge calculated by WKB is overestimated; otherwise, method II is more suitable due to its low computational cost without the loss of accuracy. In addition, the differences between current densities, carrier densities, and Shockley–Read–Hall recombination rates simulated under the two current continuity conditions for the solar cell with different carrier mobilities are also further explored and analyzed.

226 nm Far‐Ultraviolet‐C Light Emitting Diodes with an Emission Power over 2 mW

Far‐ultraviolet‐C (far‐UVC) light emitting diodes (LED) emitting at an emission wavelength of 226 nm with different n‐AlGaN contact layers, quantum well barriers, and quantum well numbers are compared regarding their emission power, operation voltage, and lifetime. Electroluminescence measurements show higher emission power but also an increased operation voltage with increasing Al mole fraction in the n‐AlGaN contact layer. Furthermore, it is found that both the mean emission power and the device lifetime decrease with increasing Al mole fraction (82–89%) of the quantum well barriers and therefore with increasing barrier height. Finally, 226 nm LEDs with 6 and 9 quantum wells are compared. It is observed that the sample with 9 quantum wells shows an around 30% lower mean emission power but, in contrast, the L70 lifetime of these LEDs is higher by a factor of around five. Based on these optimizations, 226 nm LEDs with a maximum external quantum efficiency of 0.28% (wall plug efficiency of 0.18%) as well as an emission power of 2.1 mW and an operation voltage of 9.6 V at 200 mA are realized.

Comparison of ZnO-based varistor performance by doping Zn–Sb–O phase and Sb2O3 respectively

In this study, ZnO–Bi2O3–Cr2O3–MnO2–B2O3 (ZBCMB) varistors were made by doping Zn–Sb–O phase and Sb2O3 phase in low-temperature respectively. Compared with the Sb2O3 doped sample, the breakdown field strength (E1mA) was effectively reduced from 605.36 V/mm to 440.24 V/mm due to the doping of Zn–Sb–O phase. The trend of the nonlinear coefficient α is similar for Sb2O3 and Zn–Sb–O doping, although Zn–Sb–O doping leads to a higher α = 64. This is due to the fact that the preparation of Zn–Sb–O phase avoids the oxygen vacancy reduction effect caused by the direct reaction of Sb2O3 with Bi2O3. The doping of Zn–Sb–O effectively increases the concentration of adsorbed oxygen, which has a very large positive effect on the formation of interfacial states and the increase of the potential barrier height.

Effect of annealing on the electrical performance of N-polarity GaN Schottky barrier diodes

A nitrogen-polarity (N-polarity) GaN-based high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) shows great potential for high-frequency solid-state power amplifier applications because its two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) density and mobility are minimally affected by device scaling. However, the Schottky barrier height (SBH) of N-polarity GaN is low. This leads to a large gate leakage in N-polarity GaN-based HEMTs. In this work, we investigate the effect of annealing on the electrical characteristics of N-polarity GaN-based Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) with Ni/Au electrodes. Our results show that the annealing time and temperature have a large influence on the electrical properties of N-polarity GaN SBDs. Compared to the N-polarity SBD without annealing, the SBH and rectification ratio at ±5 V of the SBD are increased from 0.51 eV and 30 to 0.77 eV and 7700, respectively, and the ideal factor of the SBD is decreased from 1.66 to 1.54 after an optimized annealing process. Our analysis results suggest that the improvement of the electrical properties of SBDs after annealing is mainly due to the reduction of the interface state density between Schottky contact metals and N-polarity GaN and the increase of barrier height for the electron emission from the trap state at low reverse bias.

Electrical properties of PVC:BN nanocomposite as interfacial layer in metal-semiconductor structure

In this study, a comprehensive examination is assumed to investigate the influence of interfacial layers composed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyvinyl chloride-boron nitride (PVC: BN) on the electrical characteristics of the Au/n-Si structure. Two distinct structures, namely Au/PVC/n-Si (MPS1) and Au/PVC: BN/n-Si (MPS2), are fabricated for this purpose. The provided boron nitride (BN) nanostructures are analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns to determine their average crystalline size and surface morphology. Following the structural analysis, current-voltage (I–V) measurements are conducted over an extensive voltage range (± 3 V). Subsequently, the fundamental electrical properties of the developed Schottky structures are determined using various methods and compared. Experimental results indicate that the PVC: BN nanocomposite leads to an increase in the potential barrier height (BH), shunt resistance (Rsh), and rectifying rate (RR = IF/IR), while simultaneously decreasing the ideality factor (n), series resistance (Rs), and surface states density (Nss). It was discovered that the MS structure’s RR was 7 times lower than that of the MPS2 structure. Moreover, the energy-dependent Nss density is also derived using n(V) and ΦB0(V) functions. Based on the ln(IR)−VR0.5 profile at the reverse bias region, the Schottky-emission (SE) type conduction mechanism is effective for MS structures, whereas Poole-Frenkel-emission (PFE) is effective for MPS structures.

Near‐Ideal Schottky Junction Photodetectors Based on Semimetal‐Semiconductor Van der Waals Heterostructures

AbstractSchottky junction barrier is promising to suppress dark current in photodetectors by blocking the tunneling electrons. Due to the Fermi pinning effect, designing the Schottky barrier with a conventional 3D metal/2D semiconductor interface is challenging. Here, it is shown that a 2D semimetal‐semiconductor van der Waals Schottky junction can be utilized to design the near‐ideal Schottky barrier for the high Ion/Ioff ratio photodetectors. It is demonstrated that the experimental barrier height (≈467 meV) of the 1T′‐MoTe2/WS2 Schottky junction can largely follow the Schottky‐Mott rule by effectively resolving the Fermi pinning effect. Such increased barrier height suppresses the thermionic emission (TE) and the tunneling of the electrons. However, for the photo‐generated electron‐hole pairs with the higher energy case, holes cannot be prevented, while most of the electrons with the higher energy can also be easily transferred. The 1T′‐MoTe2/WS2/1T′‐MoTe2 photodetector exhibits the dark current density of 5 × 10−13 A µm−1, a light on/off ratio of 106, a responsivity of 30 A W−1, and a detectivity of 1.82 × 1014 Jones. Modulated Schottky barrier height is adopted to construct a self‐powered 1T′‐MoTe2/WS2/Au photodetector.

Sequential nucleophilic aromatic substitutions on cyanuric chloride: synthesis of BODIPY derivatives and mechanistic insights.

Herein we report a study on the sequential substitution of different nucleophiles on cyanuric chloride to obtain potential candidates for metal sensors (5a-c). The set of nucleophiles on the 1,3,5-triazine ring includes a phenolic BODIPY, an aminoalkyl pyridine and aminoalkyl phosphoramidates, each one designed to play a specific role in the final fluoroionophore. Three new triazine triads were synthesized in similar yields: 5a (45%), 5b (43%) and 5c (52%) after a methodical sequential combination of the nucleophiles via thermodependent nucleophilic aromatic substitution of the three chlorine atoms of cyanuric chloride. To ratify the synthetic results we simulated the reaction mechanisms for the different nucleophiles, aiming to address the distinctive orthogonality and temperature control inherent in this process, identifying and providing a sound rationale for any preferential sequence of nucleophiles inserted into the triazine core. According to our experimental and computational analysis (thermo- and kinetic preferences), we have identified the following preferential order for the sequential substitution: p-hydroxybenzaldehyde > 2-(pyridin-2-yl)ethanamine > aminoalkyl phosphoramidate, indicating that all steps follow a single-step process (concerted) in two stages, where nucleophilic addition precedes leaving group dissociation. The Meisenheimer σ-complex was identified as a transition state structure, with insufficient stability to exist as an intermediate. We observed a consistent and progressive increase in barrier height: 2-8 kcal mol-1 for the first step, 9-15 kcal mol-1 for the second step, and >15 kcal mol-1 for the third substitution. These findings align with the experimental observation of thermodependency in the sequential substitution.

Effect of silver doping on electrical characteristics of aluminum/HfO2/p-silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor devices

In this study, undoped and silver (Ag) doped hafnium oxide (HfO2) thin films were prepared by sol-gel dipping method and their effect as an interface material in a p-Si-based metal-oxide-semiconductor device was investigated for the first time. The structural effects of Ag doping were investigated using x-ray diffraction patterns. Al/HfO2:Ag/p-Si devices were fabricated using these films, and their electrical properties were characterized by measuring current-voltage (I–V) curves at room temperature. The ideality factor values of the devices decreased from 4.09 to 2.20 as the Ag doping ratio increased. Simultaneously, the barrier height values increased from 0.60 eV to 0.81 eV. The calculated series resistance values, determined by two different methods, demonstrated that the lowest resistance values were obtained at a 1% Ag doping ratio. Furthermore, the interface state densities were found to vary with the doping ratio. The improvement in electrical parameters resulting from Ag doping can be attributed to the reduction in molar volume due to structural phase transformation. The decrease in the ideality factor suggests enhanced carrier transport efficiency, while the increase in barrier height indicates improved energy band alignment at the metal/semiconductor interface.