Contact Potential Measurements on Nano-particle embedded AlGaN/Metal Interface Using Kelvin Force Microscopy

Published

December 11, 2013

Author(s)

Jungjoon Ahn, Min-Seok Kang, Lin You, Joseph J. Kopanski, Sang-Mo Koo

Abstract

AlGaN/GaN Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) have received much attention for high power and high- frequency applications because of the high breakdown field in the wide band gap semiconductor. Schottky contacts with tunable barrier height (ΦB) between the AlGaN and the metal contact can be used to determine the performance of AlGaN/GaN devices [1,2]. Recent studies have shown that the barrier height can be modified and the fundamental device properties tuned by incorporating metal nano-particles (NPs) at the metal-semiconductor interfaces in Si, GaAs, and SiC [3,4]. The effect of size reduction of NPs on the characteristics of diode structures with embedded NPs has been experimentally demonstrated the change the transport properties of metal/semiconductor interfaces [5]. The Kelvin Force Microscopy (KFM) has shown its capabilities in dopant profiling and potential variation analysis of semiconductors, such as Si, GaAs, and ZnO[6,7]. The tool can measure and image the potential differences of between the tip and sample which can be converted to the band bending and the charge states in the sample surface. In this work, we have measured potential variation of Au-/Ag-NPs embedded at the metal/AlGaN interface in AlGaN/GaN SBDs using KFM. The nano-scale contact potential difference (CPD) distribution of an electrical contact with embedded NPs has been investigated, which effectively demonstrates the change in the barrier height between the electrical contacts and the NPs embedded AlGaN/GaN interface. Our results show that incorporating NPs with different work function can improve the barrier lowering effect and results in changing the Schottky contact characteristics of AlGaN/Ni intereface.

Proceedings Title

Contact Potential Measurements on Nano-particle embedded AlGaN/Metal Interface Using Kelvin Force
Microscopy

Conference Dates

December 11-13, 2013

Conference Location

Bethesda, MD

Pub Type

Conferences

Keywords

AlGaN/GaN, SBD, Nano-particle, KFM, Contact potential

Citation

Ahn, J. , Kang, M. , You, L. , Kopanski, J. and Koo, S. (2013), Contact Potential Measurements on Nano-particle embedded AlGaN/Metal Interface Using Kelvin Force Microscopy, Contact Potential Measurements on Nano-particle embedded AlGaN/Metal Interface Using Kelvin Force Microscopy, Bethesda, MD (Accessed July 18, 2024)