High Temperature I-V and C-V Characteristics of a Al/n-GaAs/In Schottky Barrier Type Device

Al/n-GaAs Schottky barrier type diode was fabricated by thermal deposition of Al on chemically etched polished surface of (100) n-GaAs at a pressure of 4×10−6 Torr. Back ohmic contact to n-GaAs was prepared by thermal deposition of In, followed by a 90 min. anneal in Ar atmosphere at 390° C. The C−2 vs V characteristics were quite linear for reverse bias voltages in the range 0-4 V. Over the temperature range 300–360 K, the values of the barrier height and the net carrier density (Nd-Na), obtained from the C−2-V data, were in the range 1.33–1.26 V and 4.3×l0−16-5.0×l0−16 cm−3, respectively. The forward I-V data over the temperature range 300–400 K, indicated that the electrical current across the Al/n-GaAs Schottky junction was transported by the mechanisms of generation-combination (GR) in the space charge, thermionic emission (TE) and ohmic leak current. A value of (1.20±0.04) V for the zero bias barrier height was deduced from the temperature dependence of the TE reverse saturation current. The barrier height deduced from the I-V data was practically independent of temperature. The 20% change in Nd-Na with temperature, obtained from the C-V data, and important contributions of the GR and leak currents to the total forward current, suggested the presence of defect levels in the surface space charge layer in n-GaAs, which may be responsible for the discrepancy in the values of the barrier height obtained from the I-V and C-V data.