Temperature dependence of characteristic parameters of the Au/C20H12/n-Si Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) in the wide temperature range

Au/C20H12/n-Si SBD was fabricated and its characteristic parameters such as reverse-saturation current (I-o), ideality factor (n), zero-bias barrier height (I broken vertical bar(bo)), series and shunt resistances (R-s, R-sh) were found as 1.974 x 10(-7) A, 6.434, 0.351 eV, 30.22 a"broken vertical bar and 18.96 ka"broken vertical bar at 160 K and 1.061 x 10(-6) A, 2.34, 0.836 eV, 5.82 a"broken vertical bar and 24.52 ka"broken vertical bar at 380 K, respectively. While the value of n decreases with increasing temperature, I broken vertical bar(bo) increases. The change in I broken vertical bar(bo) with temperature is not agreement with negative temperature coefficient of forbidden band-gap of semiconductor (Si). Thus, I broken vertical bar (bo) versus n, I broken vertical bar (bo) and (n(-1) - 1) versus q/2kT plots were drawn to obtain an evidence of a Gaussian distribution (GD) of the BHs and all of them have a straight line. The mean value of BH () was found as 0.983 eV from the intercept of I broken vertical bar (bo) versus n plot (for n = 1). Also, the value of and standard deviation (sigma(s)) were found as 1.123 eV and 0.151 V from the slope and intercept of I broken vertical bar(bo) versus q/2kT plot. By using the modified Richardson plot, the and Richardson constant (A*) values were obtained as 1.116 eV and 113.44 A cm(-2) K-2 from the slope and intercept of this plot, respectively. It is clear that this value of A* (=113.44 A cm(-2) K-2) is very close to their theoretical value of 112 A cm(-2) K-2 for n-Si. In addition, the energy density distribution profile of surface states (D-it) was obtained from the forward bias I-V data by taking into account the bias dependent of the effective barrier height (I broken vertical bar (e) ) and ideality factor n(V) for four different temperatures (160, 200, 300, and 380 K). In conclusion, the I-V-T measurements of the Au/C20H12/n-Si SBD in the whole temperature range can be successfully explained on the basis of thermionic emission (TE) theory with GD of the BHs.