The current-voltage characteristics of the ferroelectric p-YMnO3 thin film/bulk p-Si heterojunction over a broad measurement temperature range

The reverse and forward bias I-V characteristics of the Al/p-YMO/p-Si/Al heterojunction were measured at room temperature (RT) and over temperature range, from 50 to 320 K, and the I-V curves showed Schottky diode-like characteristics. The ideality factor and barrier height values were calculated as 0.81 and 2.62 from the forward bias I-V curve at room temperature (300 K), respectively. The YMO powder was prepared via solid state reaction technique. YMO thin films were grown on front surface of p-Si substrate by radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering using a polycrystalline YMO single target. The YMO thin film thickness on Si substrate was measured as similar to 70 nm via Dektak XT surface profilometer. The XRD, SEM, UV-Vis and XPS measurements of the YMO thin film were also performed. The bandgap energy of YMnO3 thin films was determined as 2.10 eV by UV-vis. The temperature-dependent reverse and forward bias I-V curves were evaluated in terms of thermionic emission (TE), Schottky emission, Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) tunneling and space charge-limited current (SCLC) current theories. Furthermore, it has been seen that the forward bias conduction in the junction at each temperature obeys F-N tunneling because of the linearity in the In (I/V-2) versus V-1 curves. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.