Conduction mechanism change according to barrier height of oxide hetero-interface diode

Abstract

An effective and facile strategy is proposed to demonstrate an engineered oxide hetero-interface of a thin film diode with a high current density and low operating voltage. The electrical characteristics of an oxide hetero-interface thin film diode are governed by two theoretical models: the space charge-limited current (SCLC) model and the Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) tunneling model. Interestingly, the dominant mechanism strongly depends on the insulator thickness, and the mechanism shift occurs at a critical thickness. This phenomenon is seen by a decrease in the barrier height at the insulator / semiconductor interface as the thickness of the insulator increases. This paper shows that the barrier heights of oxide hetero-interface thin film diodes can be changed by simple engineering of the insulator layer thickness. These oxide hetero-interface diodes have great potential for low-powered transparent nanoscale applications.