Barrier characteristics of Pt/Ru Schottky contacts on n-type GaN based on I–V–T and C–V–T measurements

We have investigated the current–voltage (I–V) and capacitance–voltage (C–V) characteristics of Ru/Pt/n-GaN Schottky diodes in the temperature range 100–420 K. The calculated values of barrier height and ideality factor for the Ru/Pt/n-GaN Schottky diode are 0·73 eV and 1·4 at 420 K, 0·18 eV and 4·2 at 100 K, respectively. The zero-bias barrier height (Φb0) calculated from I–V characteristics is found to be increased and the ideality factor (n) decreased with increasing temperature. Such a behaviour of Φb0 and n is attributed to Schottky barrier (SB) inhomogeneities by assuming a Gaussian distribution (GD) of barrier heights (BHs) at the metal/semiconductor interface. The current–voltage–temperature (I–V–T) characteristics of the Ru/Pt/n-GaN Schottky diode have shown a double Gaussian distribution having mean barrier heights (\( {\bar{{\Phi}}_{\text{b}0}} \)) of 1·001 eV and 0·4701 eV and standard deviations (σ0) of 0·1491 V and 0·0708 V, respectively. The modified \({ln} ({{J}₀ /{T}²} )-( {{q}²{\sigma} ₀²/{2}{k}²{T}²} )\) vs 103/T plot gives \(\bar{{\Phi}}_{\text{b}0} \) and Richardson constant values as 0·99 eV and 0·47 eV, and 27·83 and 10·29 A/cm2K2, respectively without using the temperature coefficient of the barrier height. The difference between the apparent barrier heights (BHs) evaluated from the I–V and C–V methods has been attributed to the existence of Schottky barrier height inhomogeneities.