Schottky barrier parameters and low frequency noise characteristics of graphene-germanium Schottky barrier diode

• I–V characteristics of graphene/n-type Ge SBDs.
• Deviation from ideal thermionic emission associated with voltage drop across graphene.
• 1/f γ frequency dependence with γ being close to unit of graphene/n-type Ge SBDs.
• Linear relationship between current noise power spectral density and forward current.

We investigated the electrical properties of chemical vapor deposition-grown monolayer graphene/n-type germanium (Ge) Schottky barrier diodes (SBD) using current–voltage (I–V) characteristics and low frequency noise measurements. The Schottky barrier parameters of graphene/n-type Ge SBDs, such as Schottky barrier height (ФB), ideality factor (n), and series resistance (Rs), were extracted using the forward I–V and Cheung's methods. The ФB and n extracted from the forward ln(I)–V plot were found to be 0.63 eV and 1.78, respectively. In contrast, from Cheung method, the ФB and n were calculated to be 0.53 eV and 1.76, respectively. Such a discrepancy between the values of ФB calculated from the forward I–V and Cheung's methods indicated a deviation from the ideal thermionic emission of graphene/n-type Ge SBD associated with the voltage drop across graphene. The low frequency noise measurements performed at the frequencies in the range of 10 Hz–1 kHz showed that the graphene/n-type Ge SBD had 1/f γ frequency dependence, with γ ranging from 1.09 to 1.12, regardless of applied forward biases. Similar to forward-biased SBDs operating in the thermionic emission mode, the current noise power spectral density of graphene/n-type Ge SBD was linearly proportional to the forward current.