Fabrication and Characterization of Back-to-Back Schottky Diode in Ni/ZnO/Ag Nanojunction

This work presents the fabrication and electrical analysis of a ZnO nanostructure-based Schottky device. The fabrication method employed is easy and cost-effective. The junction properties of the Ni/ZnO junction annealed at 400oC with silver probing has been studied leading to the formation of a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) back-to-back Schottky diode (BBSD) with the configuration Ni/ZnO/Ag; this is a rectifying diode for both V > 0 and V < 0. The junction properties have been analyzed employing the BBSD model in the light of the thermionic emission mechanism. Electrical parameters, like barrier height, ideality factor, and resistance of a device consisting of two diodes, have been determined based on the theory for the BBSD model. The diode action is lost when the specimen is annealed at 700oC due to the combined effect of the microstructure of ZnO and the growth of a NiO layer at the interface.

Automated summary

This study presents the fabrication and electrical analysis of a ZnO nanostructure-based Schottky device using a cost-effective method. The Ni/ZnO junction annealed at 400oC with silver probing resulted in the formation of a metal-semiconductor-metal back-to-back Schottky diode, which exhibits rectifying properties. The electrical parameters of the device have been determined based on the thermionic emission mechanism and the BBSD model.