Characteristics Of Schottky Diodes Research Articles

Role of defects in tailoring the structural, electrical and optical properties of Schottky diodes based on GaAsBi alloy through gamma radiation

This work provides an extensive study of the influence of γ-rays on structural, electrical, and optical characteristics of GaAsBi Schottky diodes fabricated through Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) on GaAs substrates. An important finding is the direct correlation observed between the radiation dose and the consequent increase in the turn-on voltage of the devices. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that only phases related to the GaAs and GaAs1-xBix layers were observed. Raman spectroscopy proved to be a powerful tool to elucidate the effects of ionizing radiation on GaAsBi samples. From the results of electrical measurements, such as current density-voltage, the characteristic parameters of the devices improved as a function of the radiation dose. Conversely, the Capacitance-Voltage (C–V) characteristics indicated a rise in the concentration of free carriers in all irradiated samples, suggesting an enhancement in the performance of the diodes. Assessment through Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) further revealed a reduction in the number of electrically active traps following irradiation. Consequently, the findings presented here highlight the potential improvements in diode performance resulting from sample irradiation. Upon subjecting the samples to irradiation doses of 50 kGys and 100 kGys, we identified the presence of three and two electron traps, respectively. This differs from the unirradiated diodes, which displayed four electron traps. Interestingly, the photoluminescence intensity of the main peak exhibited an increment with increasing irradiation dose. This observation implies an enhancement in the optical characteristic, as well as annihilation/contribution of Bi-related traps. These findings corroborate the electrical results obtained in our study. Finally, the Raman results showed that the decrease in the lifetime of the photoexcited carriers leads to a higher recombination rate which in turn leads to a higher photoluminescence (PL) intensity after radiation.

Analysis of temperature-dependent current–voltage characteristics of Schottky diodes by the modified thermionic emission current model

We have investigated the behavior of current flow across an inhomogeneous Schottky diode (SD) as a function of temperature by numerical simulation. We have used the modified thermionic emission (TE) current expression with a Gaussian distribution of potential barrier heights. This modified TE model assumes the presence of a series of low-barrier patches at the Schottky contact and semiconductor interface. First, we have discussed the behavior of the patch current compound relative to the TE compound in the inhomogeneous SD at 300, 200, and 100 K, as a function of standard deviation and the number of circular patches N. Then, we have investigated the behavior of temperature- and bias-dependent and bias-independent current vs voltage (I–V–T) characteristics in the 75–300 K range. In bias-dependent I–V–T curves obtained for σ1=4.35×10−5cm2/3V1/3 and σ2=7.35×10−5cm2/3V1/3 at N1=1.81×106 or N2=1.81×108, an intersection behavior has been observed in the I–V curve at 75 K for σ2 at both N values; however, the same behavior has been not observed for σ1 at both N values due to σ1<σ2. That is, the current for σ2 at 75 K has exceeded the current at higher temperatures. This behavior has been ascribed to the effective BH to decrease with decreasing temperature value. In the I–V–T curves independent of bias, such an intersection has not been observed for σ1 while it has been observed for σ2 in the I–V curves at both 75 and 100 K. Thus, it has been concluded that the bias-dependeσnt I–V equations must be used to avoid this intersection behavior while fitting the experimental I–V curve of an SD to the theoretical I–V curve.

Modeling of Schottky diode and optimal matching circuit design for low power RF energy harvesting

This work designs and implements a single-stage rectifier-based RF energy harvesting device. This device integrates a receiving antenna and a rectifying circuit to convert ambient electromagnetic energy into useful DC power efficiently. The rectenna is carefully engineered with an optimal matching circuit, achieving high efficiency with a return loss of less than −10 dB. The design uses a practical model of the Schottky diode, where both RF and DC characteristics are derived through extensive experimental measurements. The results from both experiments and simulations confirm the effectiveness of the design, showing its proficiency in efficient RF energy harvesting under low-power conditions. The antenna produced operates in the wifi band with a gain close to 4 dBi and a bandwidth of 100 MHz. With a load resistance of 1600 Ω, the proposed device achieves an impressive RF-to-DC conversion efficiency of approximately 52% at a low incident power of −5 dBm. These findings highlight the potential and reliability of rectenna systems for practical and efficient RF energy harvesting applications. The study significantly contributes to our understanding of rectenna-based energy harvesting, providing valuable insights for future design considerations and applications in low-power RF systems.

Vertical PtOx/Pt/ β -Ga2O3 Schottky diodes with high permittivity dielectric field plate for low leakage and high breakdown voltage

We demonstrate Schottky barrier engineering using PtOx/thin Pt Schottky contacts combined with edge termination using a high permittivity dielectric (ZrO2) field-plate for high-voltage vertical β-Ga2O3 diodes. A systematic study of baseline bare Pt/β-Ga2O3, PtOx/thin Pt/β-Ga2O3, and PtOx/β-Ga2O3 Schottky diode characteristics was performed, which revealed that the PtOx/thin Pt/β-Ga2O3 contact can combine the advantages of both PtOx and Pt, allowing better reverse blocking performance than plain metal Pt/β-Ga2O3 Schottky diodes and lower turn-on voltage than plain oxidized metal PtOx/β-Ga2O3 ones. Moreover, the thin Pt interlayer in the PtOx/thin Pt/β-Ga2O3 anode contact configuration, deposited by e-beam deposition, also provides plasma-free interface at the Schottky junction as opposed to the direct sputter deposited PtOx contacts of the PtOx/β-Ga2O3 diodes. We further implemented a high permittivity dielectric (ZrO2) field plate in PtOx/thin Pt/β-Ga2O3 diodes that assisted in edge-field management and enabled a breakdown voltage to ∼2.34 kV. These results indicate that the PtOx/thin Pt/β-Ga2O3 Schottky contact, combined with a high permittivity field-plate, will be promising to enable Schottky barrier engineering for high-performance and efficient vertical β-Ga2O3 power switches.

Space charge limited current in 4H-SiC Schottky diodes in the presence of stacking faults

The presence of crystallographic defects can induce notable effects on the mechanisms ruling the current transport in metal/semiconductor contacts. In this context, in this Letter, the impact of stacking faults (SFs) on the characteristics of 4H-SiC Schottky diodes was investigated under both forward and reverse bias. In particular, in the presence of SFs under the contact, while no significant effect on the ideality factor and barrier height was observed under forward bias, an anomalous increase in the leakage current occurred under reverse bias. The observed behavior of the leakage current could be explained by a space-charge limited current model, consistent with the presence of a distribution of trapping states in the gap of 4H-SiC. An increase in the reverse bias above 30 V leads to a complete trap filling. The weak temperature-dependence of the leakage current observed in this regime suggests the coexistence with a tunneling of the carriers through the barrier. The results can be useful to understand unexpected failures in 4H-SiC Schottky diodes.

Performance prediction of current-voltage characteristics of Schottky diodes at low temperatures using artificial intelligence

Schottky diodes are still one of the most important elements of electronics. Therefore, investigating the properties of diodes is very important in determining their usage areas. In this study, the performance of the artificial neural network model trained using high temperature data in predicting the current-voltage properties at low temperatures was investigated. An artificial neural network is modeled using the experimentally measured current and voltage values at the temperature range of 80 and 375 K. In the developed network model, temperature and voltage values are defined as input parameters and current values are estimated. Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithm was used as the training algorithm in the neural network, which was developed using a total of 1584 data. The current values obtained from the artificial neural network were compared with the experimental current values, and the prediction performance of the network model was extensively analyzed by using various performance parameters. The results showed that the developed artificial neural network can predict current values at low temperatures with high accuracy depending on voltage. In addition, it was found that the current-voltage characteristics of the Schottky diode at low temperatures could be predicted with an error rate of approximately ±7 %. On the other hand, the error rates in the prediction of diode characteristics by artificial intelligence were determined to be independent of temperature.

Solution Processed Schottky Diodes Enabled by Silicon Carbide Nanowires for Harsh Environment Applications.

Silicon carbide nanowires (SiC NWs) exhibit promising features to allow solution-processable electronics to be deployed in harsh environments. By utilizing a nanoscale form of SiC, we were able to disperse the material into liquid solvents, while maintaining the resilience of bulk SiC. This letter reports the fabrication of SiC NW Schottky diodes. Each diode consisted of just one nanowire with an approximate diameter of 160 nm. In addition to analyzing the diode performance, the effects of elevated temperatures and proton irradiation on the current-voltage characteristics of SiC NW Schottky diodes were also examined. The device could maintain similar values for ideality factor, barrier height, and effective Richardson constant upon proton irradiation with a fluence of 1016 ion/cm2 at 873 K. As a result, these metrics have clearly demonstrated the high-temperature tolerance and irradiation resistance of SiC NWs, ultimately indicating that they may provide utility in allowing solution-processable electronics in harsh environments.

Electrical and Recombination Properties of Polar Orthorhombic κ-Ga2O3 Films Prepared by Halide Vapor Phase Epitaxy

In this study, the structural and electrical properties of orthorhombic κ-Ga2O3 films prepared using Halide Vapor Phase Epitaxy (HVPE) on AlN/Si and GaN/sapphire templates were studied. For κ-Ga2O3/AlN/Si structures, the formation of two-dimensional hole layers in the Ga2O3 was studied and, based on theoretical calculations, was explained by the impact of the difference in the spontaneous polarizations of κ-Ga2O3 and AlN. Structural studies indicated that in the thickest κ-Ga2O3/GaN/sapphire layer used, the formation of rotational nanodomains was suppressed. For thick (23 μm and 86 μm) κ-Ga2O3 films grown on GaN/sapphire, the good rectifying characteristics of Ni Schottky diodes were observed. In addition, deep trap spectra and electron beam-induced current measurements were performed for the first time in this polytype. These experiments show that the uppermost 2 µm layer of the grown films contains a high density of rather deep electron traps near Ec - 0.3 eV and Ec - 0.7 eV, whose presence results in the relatively high series resistance of the structures. The diffusion length of the excess charge carriers was measured for the first time in κ-Ga2O3. The film with the greatest thickness of 86 μm was irradiated with protons and the carrier removal rate was about 10 cm-1, which is considerably lower than that for β-Ga2O3.

Richardson constant and characteristics of pentacene organic planar Schottky diode

Planar organic Schottky diodes were fabricated using undoped pentacene as an active layer with both palladium and aluminum as contacts. Pentacene organic thin films were deposited on n-type silicon substrates with 100 (n-Si<100>) and 111 (n-Si<111>) orientations. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements revealed that the pentacene films’ XRD patterns exhibit several peaks with various orientations. The energy-dispersive X-ray technique was used for chemical analysis of the pentacene, and scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the surface morphology. A structural and morphological study of the deposited pentacene indicates a polycrystalline triclinic (anorthic) nature. A current–voltage curve was experimentally constructed at temperatures (T) ranging from 300 K to 360 K with a step of 15 K. The diode parameters, such as saturation current, ideality factor (n), and barrier height (ΦB), were systematically analyzed using thermionic emission theory. The fabricated devices exhibit decreasing n and increasing ΦB values with increasing T. Richardson's constant for pentacene was calculated, which indicated that the conventionally calculated value from the temperature-dependent characteristic curve is much lower than the calculated theoretical value. It was also observed that the device deposited over the n-Si<111> substrate exhibited larger forward and lower reverse currents than the n-Si<100> substrate device.

Variation of electrical and dielectric characteristics of Schottky diodes (SDs) depending on the existence of PVC and carbon-nanotube (CNT)-doped PVC interlayers

Variation of electrical and dielectric characteristics of Schottky diodes (SDs) depending on the existence of PVC and carbon-nanotube (CNT)-doped PVC interlayers

Establishment of different aliphatic amines-based rapid self-healing Mg(OH)2 metallogels: exploring the morphology, rheology and intriguing semiconducting Schottky diode characteristics

Different aliphatic-amine-based rapid self-healing Mg(ii)-metallogels have been established through exploring their morphology, rheology and intriguing semiconducting Schottky diode characteristics.

Impact of ZnO nanoparticles on electrical characteristics of herbal dye-based organic Schottky diode

Impact of ZnO nanoparticles on electrical characteristics of herbal dye-based organic Schottky diode

Yb/Se/WO3/Yb Thin Film Transistors as Rectifiers, N‐Channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor Capacitors, Laser Sensors, and Microwave Bandstop Filters

Herein, Yb/p–Se/p–WO3/Yb heterojunctions are employed as multifunctional devices. The devices which show back‐to‐back Schottky (BBS) diode characteristics are prepared by the thermal evaporation method under a vacuum pressure of 10−5 mbar. The structural and morphological analyses on these heterojunctions have shown the growth of amorphous WO3 onto meshed nano/microwire network of hexagonal selenium. The BBS diodes display voltage‐controlled current rectification ratios. In addition, the domination of the thermionic and tunneling current conduction mechanisms in the transistors is computationally investigated. Moreover, studies of the capacitance–voltage characteristic curves demonstrate the performance of the devices as n‐channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) field‐effect transistors responsive in the frequency domain of 1.0–50.0 MHz. Furthermore, the impedance spectroscopy measurements in the frequency domain of 0.01–1.80 GHz indicate the possibility of using the BBS diodes as bandstop filters. The microwave cutoff frequency of these filters reaches 1.06 GHz. On the other hand, when ohmic contacts are formed on the glass/Se/WO3 part using two carbon electrodes, the active layer between the electrodes displays high sensitivity to light irradiations from He–Ne lasers, indicating the possibility of performing as photosensors.

Neural network estimations of annealed and non-annealed Schottky diode characteristics at wide temperatures range

In this study, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model has been proposed to characterize the annealed and the non-annealed Schottky diode from experimental data. The experimental current values of Ni/n-type 6H–SiC Schottky diode for the voltages applied to the diode terminal starting from 80 K with 20 K steps up to 500 K temperature were measured for both non-annealed and annealed Schottky diodes. The applied voltage has been varied starting from -2 V with 10 mV steps up to +2 V for each temperature value. The modeling performance has been assessed according to the varying number of neurons in the hidden layer, starting from 5 to 50 neurons, thereafter the optimum number of neurons has been obtained for both annealed and non-annealed ANN models. The minimum Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) indices values for both annealed and non-annealed diodes have been obtained with 40 neurons for both the training and test phase.

Electrical properties of α-Ga2O3 films grown by halide vapor phase epitaxy on sapphire with α-Cr2O3 buffers

We report on growth and electrical properties of α-Ga2O3 films prepared by halide vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) at 500 °C on α-Cr2O3 buffers predeposited on sapphire by magnetron sputtering. The α-Cr2O3 buffers showed a wide microcathodoluminescence (MCL) peak near 350 nm corresponding to the α-Cr2O3 bandgap and a sharp MCL line near 700 nm due to the Cr+ intracenter transition. Ohmic contacts to Cr2O3 were made with both Ti/Au or Ni, producing linear current–voltage (I–V) characteristics over a wide temperature range with an activation energy of conductivity of ∼75 meV. The sign of thermoelectric power indicated p-type conductivity of the buffers. Sn-doped, 2-μm-thick α-Ga2O3 films prepared on this buffer by HVPE showed donor ionization energies of 0.2–0.25 eV, while undoped films were resistive with the Fermi level pinned at EC of 0.3 eV. The I–V and capacitance–voltage (C–V) characteristics of Ni Schottky diodes on Sn-doped samples using a Cr2O3 buffer indicated the presence of two face-to-face junctions, one between n-Ga2O3 and p-Cr2O3, the other due to the Ni Schottky diode with n-Ga2O3. The spectral dependence of the photocurrent measured on the structure showed the presence of three major deep traps with optical ionization thresholds near 1.3, 2, and 2.8 eV. Photoinduced current transient spectroscopy spectra of the structures were dominated by deep traps with an ionization energy of 0.95 eV. These experiments suggest another pathway to obtain p–n heterojunctions in the α-Ga2O3 system.

Analysis of I–V-T characteristics of Be-doped AlGaAs Schottky diodes grown on (100) GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy

The temperature effect on the electrical characteristics of Au/Ti on Beryllium-doped Al0.29Ga0.71As Schottky diodes grown on (100) GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy has been investigated for various temperatures ranging from 260 to 400 K. By assuming thermionic emission is the dominant mechanism by which carrier transport occurs in Schottky barriers, the forward and reverse current–voltage (I−V) characteristics are analyzed to assess the main Schottky diode electronic parameters, such as ideality factor (n), barrier height (∅B), series resistance (RS) and saturation current (IS). These parameters are extracted by using different approaches, such as the conventional I−V method, Cheung and Cheung's method and Norde's method. The I−V analysis showed an abnormal behavior, namely an increase of ∅B and a decrease of n with increasing temperature. This strong dependence of Schottky diode parameters with temperature was attributed to the spatial inhomogeneity at the metal-semiconductor (MS) interface. By assuming a Gaussian distribution of the barrier heights at the MS interface, the inhomogeneity of the barrier height has been successfully explained. In addition, the temperature dependent energy distribution of interface states density (NSS) profiles was obtained from the forward bias I–V measurements by taking into account the bias dependence of the effective barrier height (∅e) and n.

Current transport properties of Pt/n-GaN Schottky diodes with ZnO interlayers

In this work, atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to grow 20-nm thick ZnO interlayers (IL) on a GaN substrate at 150 and 200 °C and the current transport mechanisms of vertical Pt/ZnO/n-GaN Schottky diodes were investigated. A high density of surface state was observed for the ZnO layer grown at 200 °C. An analysis of the forward current–voltage (I–V) data considering various transport mechanisms demonstrated that the thermionic emission and the tunneling components attributed to the total current for the ZnO layer grown at 150 °C. In contrast, it was observed that the tunneling component mainly caused the current conduction in the ZnO layer grown at 200 °C. Additionally, an analysis of the reverse I–V characteristics exhibited a high density of surface defects on the ZnO layer grown at 200 °C. This study demonstrated that the ALD growth temperature of ZnO IL significantly affects the I–V characteristics of GaN Schottky diodes.

Исследование электрохимических и электрических свойств комплексов азометин-лиганд Zn (II) на основе пиразолона и их температурных зависимостей

Comprehensive study of the electrochemical, electrical properties and temperature dependences of the Zn (II) hybrid organic complex based on Schiff (C48H42N6O2Zn) is carried out. In order to determine the prospects for using this compound as a semiconductor material, thin films were obtained using the centrifugation method. The method of preparation, synthesis, microscopy of the surface, as well as the method of measuring the temperature dependences of the electrical properties of the obtained thin films are described. The temperature measurement range ranged from 270 to 330 K. The energy levels of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital and the highest occupied molecular orbital were determined using cyclic voltammetry. The activation energy calculated from linear approximations of the current-voltage characteristics in Arrhenius coordinates was 0.65 eV. Analysis of the current-voltage characteristics of the ITO – PBAL – Al structure showed that they correspond to the typical characteristics of Schottky diodes with a charge mobility of ~ 1,18·10–11 cm2·V–1·s–1.To study the mechanisms of charge transfer, the C – V characteristics of the samples were investigated at a frequency of 1 kHz. The concentration of charge carriers was calculated using the Mott – Schottky relationship.

Method for Determining the Schottky Diodes Electrical Parameters

When studying the operation of Schottky diodes the most important electrical parameters are the height of the potential barrier, the coefficient of ideality, the saturation current and the series resistance of the material and contacts. These parameters can be determined from the experimental volt-ampere characteristics. The article considers the methods of determining these electrical parameters of Schottky diodes, as well as the factors that affect the accuracy of calculations. The existing methods for calculating the electrical parameters of Schottky diodes are analyzed, namely: the method of Norde, Roderick, Chong, Sato and the method of direct approximation. The Norde method was developed for a coefficient of ideality equal to one for cases where the effect of series resistance on the I–V characteristics makes a significant error in determining the barrier height by simpler methods. A significant disadvantage of this method is that in many cases the coefficient of ideality is not equal to one, even in the case of an ideal diode, which makes an error in the calculation result. The advantage of Roderick's method is the possibility of describing the forward and reverse branches of the I–V characteristics by one dependence, as well as taking into account measurements at voltages less than tripled temperature potential. The disadvantages of this method include the lack of consideration of the effect of series resistance, which may result in additional errors. The main advantage of the Chong method is the determination of the series resistance together with the height of the barrier and the coefficient of ideality, which not only provides additional information about the contact, but also convenient in terms of automation of the calculation process. The disadvantages include the possibility of applying the method only to the voltage range above the tripled temperature potential. The disadvantages of Sato methods and direct approximation include the fact that the calculation is performed at one point of the I–V curve, which can negatively affect the accuracy. It is also shown that these methods have a significant standard deviation of the calculated values from the experimental ones, which is due to the temperature dependence of the height of the potential barrier and the dependence of the coefficient of ideality on the voltage. Also, the reason for the increase in the calculation error of the electrical parameters in all five methods is the decrease in the length of the I–V characteristics in logarithmic coordinates. When using any of the considered methods, the calculation is performed in logarithmic coordinates, which complicates the determination of the boundaries of the I–V section, where the dependence of the parameters of the Schottky diode on the voltage is insignificant. A new algorithm for calculating the electrical parameters of Schottky diodes has been developed. Based on the conjugate gradient method, a method for optimizing the algorithm for calculating the electrical parameters of Schottky diodes was developed, which made it possible to reduce the standard deviation by more than an order of magnitude. The developed algorithm is verified by comparing the calculated volt-ampere characteristics of Schottky diodes with those obtained experimentally. To construct the calculated volt-ampere characteristics, the values of the electrical parameters of Schottky diodes were used, which were determined by the presented algorithm. The results of the calculation are in good agreement with the experimental data. The proposed method can be used both in scientific work to study the properties of semiconductor materials, and in production to control the quality of Schottky diodes.

Research implementing different dopants (M = Al, Sn, and Eu) on the properties of Schottky diodes with structure TCO/CdS/C and TCO/CdS:M/C

A metal-semiconductor interface is an integral part of numerous electronic devices such as Schottky barrier diodes, photodetectors, photovoltaic detectors, photoelectric converters for UV radiation, among others. On the other hand, semiconductor thin films of cadmium sulfide have been applied to several electronic devices. This study presents the synthesis of semiconductor thin films of pure cadmium sulfide and those doped with Al, Sn, and Eu by a chemical bath deposition technique. XRD, SEM, EDS, XPS, UV-Vis spectroscopy, I-V, and photocurrent measurement analyzed these semiconductor thin films. Afterwards, the doped and undoped CdS thin films were applied to the manufacture of Schottky diodes. The doped CdS thin films reveals differences in the size of the crystallites, which decreased by 5.7%, 11.5%, and 60.1% after doping with aluminum, tin, and europium, respectively. The CdS thin films show morphological differences, decreasing grain size by 5.3% in the case of tin doping and increasing by 21.9% with aluminum and 32.6% after being doped with europium. Additionally, the energy bandgap of the doped CdS thin films show a blue shift, except when doped with Eu, which shows a red shift. This enables the design of window layers by choosing the suitable dopant of CdS. The effect of the CdS doping on the electrical photoresponse of the Schottky diodes was also analyzed. Due to the incorporation of dopants, the photoresponse of the aluminum-doped CdS Schottky diodes improved by 176% compared to its undoped counterpart and by up to 493% with other reports in the literature. The Schottky diodes manufactured in this work show variation in height of the potential barrier, increasing by 6% in the case of aluminum doping and decreasing by 5% and 25% after being doped with europium and tin respectively. These results demonstrated the beneficial impact of dopants on the characteristics of the CdS-based Schottky diodes and elaborated photodiodes, exhibiting an impressive enhancement in their photoresponse, in the potential barrier reached for photosensitivity and in the energy band gap value. Overall, our extensive study reveals that there is great potential in the design of affordable multifunctional optoelectronic devices.