Defect-assisted tunneling current-transport mechanism for Schottky diodes of Pt thin film on p-SiNWs tips

The Schottky diodes of a Platinum (Pt) thin film on p-silicon nanowires (p-SiNWs) tips were fabricated. The current-transport mechanism of Pt/p-SiNWs Schottky diodes was defect-assisted tunneling (TU). Each silicon nanowire could be seen as a core/shell structure with a monocrystalline silicon core wrapped by a thin natural amorphous silicon oxide shell, which induced a large number of defects and enhanced the defect-assisted tunneling probability. The experimental I–V data were fitted to the theoretical mode of the thermionic emission (TE), generation–recombination (GR), TU, and leakage (RL) current-transport mechanisms in the temperature range of 300–370 K and voltage range of −1 to 1 V. The TU fitting data were in excellent agreement with the experimental data. Meanwhile, the tunneling parameter (E0) was independent of the temperature, which closely followed the TU current-transport mechanism. Defect-assisted tunneling mechanism of Pt/p-SiNWs Schottky diodes could be applied to many other Schottky junction devices, especially, for low-dimensional nanostructures.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► The current-transport mechanism of Pt/p-SiNWs Schottky diodes was investigated.
► The surface and interface of SiNWs induced a large number of defects.
► Defects enhanced the defect-assisted tunneling probability.
► The tunneling fitting data was in agreement with the experimental data.
► Defect-assisted tunneling was dominant in Pt/p-SiNWs Schottky diodes.