Temperature dependence of characteristic parameters of the H-terminated Sn/p-Si(1 0 0) Schottky contacts

The current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of Sn/hydrogen-terminated p-type Si Schottky contacts have been measured in the temperature range of 150–400 K. It is shown that the occurrence of a Gaussian distribution of then BHs is responsible for the decrease of the apparent BH Φb0, increase of the ideality factor n and non-linearity in the activation energy plot at low temperatures. A Φb0 versus 1/T plot was drawn to obtain evidence of a Gaussian distribution of the BHs, and values of Φ̄b0=1.049 eV and σ0=0.114 V for the mean BH and zero-bias standard deviation have been obtained from this plot, respectively. Then, a modified ln(I0/T2)−q2σ02/2k2T2 versus 1/T plot gives Φ̄b0 and A∗ as 1.026 eV and 14.60 A cm−2 K−2, respectively. It has been concluded that the temperature dependent I–V characteristics of the device can be successfully explained on the basis of a thermionic emission mechanism with Gaussian distribution of the BHs. Furthermore, an average value of −0.247 meV K−1 for the temperature coefficient has been obtained; the value of −0.247 meV K−1 for hydrogen-terminated p-type Si differs from those in the literature due to the termination with hydrogen of the p-Si surface.