Systematic study of interface trap and barrier inhomogeneities using I-V-T characteristics of Au/ZnO nanorods Schottky diode

This paper presents in-depth analysis of I-V-T characteristics of Au/ZnO nanorods Schottky diodes. The temperature dependence I-V parameters such as the ideality factor and the barrier heights have been explained on the basis of inhomogeneity. Detailed and systematic analysis was performed to extract information about the interface trap states. The ideality factor decreases, while the barrier height increases with increase of temperature. These observations have been ascribed to barrier inhomogeneities at the Au/ZnO nanorods interface. The inhomogeneities can be described by the Gaussian distribution of barrier heights. The effect of tunneling, Fermi level pinning, and image force lowering has contribution in the barrier height lowering. The recombination-tunneling mechanism is used to explain the conduction process in Au/ZnO nanorods Schottky diodes. The ionization of interface states has been considered for explaining the inhomogeneities. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.