Enhancing the Schottky-barrier height by inserting a thin MgO layer between Au and annealed-ZnO

Abstract The effects of a thin MgO insertion layer between Au and annealed-ZnO on the Schottky-barrier diodes (SBDs) of Au/annealed-ZnO were studied. The structure of Au/as-deposited ZnO (SBD_A) presents a rather leaky (near ohmic) characteristic owing to the presence of oxygen vacancies on the ZnO surface. After post-annealing of ZnO in air, the Au/annealed-ZnO (SBD_B) exhibits a rectifying behavior as a result of the compensated oxygen vacancies. Upon inserting a MgO film between the Au and annealed-ZnO, the leakage current is significantly reduced by approximately 3-orders of magnitude in the Au/MgO/annealed-ZnO structure (SBD_C), largely enhancing the rectification ratio from 10.3 to 731. This is because the oxygen vacancies are further reduced by the MgO modification of ZnO. The post-ZnO annealing and MgO insertion increased the Schottky-barrier height (SBH) from 0.58 to 0.68 and 1.1 eV in SBD_A, SBD_B, and SBD_C, respectively. Hence, the MgO insertion not only decreases the oxygen vacancies on the ZnO surface, it also increases the SBH. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and band-diagrams were employed to elucidate the mechanisms of the increase in SBH.