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

Abstract 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 ∼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 YMnO 3 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 ln ( I/V 2 ) versus V −1 curves.