Correlation between barrier heights and ideality factors of H-terminated Sn/p-Si(1 0 0) Schottky barrier diodes

Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) were prepared by evaporation on H-terminated p-Si(1 0 0) surfaces. The Si(1 0 0)-H surfaces were obtained by wet chemical etching in diluted hydrofluoric acid. The current–voltage (I–V  ) characteristics of real SBDs are described by using two fitting parameters that are the effective barrier height (EBH) Φbeff and ideality factor n. They were determined from I–V characteristics of SBDs (30 diodes) fabricated under experimentally identical conditions. The obtained values of EBHs varied from 0.729 to 0.749 eV, and the values of ideality factors varied from 1.083 to 1.119. The results showed that both parameters of SBDs differ from one diode to another even if they are identically prepared. The EBH distributions were fitted by two Gaussian distribution functions, and their mean values were found to be 0.739 ± 0.003 eV and 0.733 ± 0.001 eV, respectively. The homogeneous barrier height of SBDs was found to be 0.770 eV from the linear relationship between EBHs (Φbeff) and ideality factors (n).