Carrier transport in reverse-biased graphene/semiconductor Schottky junctions

TL;DR

This study investigates carrier transport mechanisms in reverse-biased graphene/semiconductor Schottky diodes, revealing different dominant conduction processes in various material combinations and how electric fields influence barrier heights.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of temperature-dependent carrier transport in graphene/semiconductor Schottky junctions, identifying specific mechanisms like Poole-Frenkel conduction in Gr/SiC and deviations in others.

Findings

Barrier height decreases with reverse-bias due to electric-field effects.

Carrier transport in Gr/SiC follows Poole-Frenkel mechanism.

Transport in Gr/Si and Gr/GaAs deviates from classical models at low temperatures.

Abstract

Reverse-biased graphene (Gr)/semiconductor Schottky diodes exhibit much enhanced sensitivity for gas sensing. However, carrier transport across the junctions is not fully understood yet. Here, Gr/SiC, Gr/GaAs and Gr/Si Schottky junctions under reverse-bias are investigated by temperature-dependent current-voltage measurements. A reduction in barrier height with increasing reverse-bias is observed for all junctions, suggesting electric-field enhanced thermionic emission. Further analysis of the field dependence of the reverse current reveals that while carrier transport in Gr/SiC Schottky junctions follows the Poole-Frenkel mechanism, it deviates from both the Poole-Frankel and Schottky mechanisms in Gr/Si and Gr/GaAs junctions, particularly for low temperatures and fields.