In this paper, a new Au/p-Si Schottky Barrier Diode (SBD) based on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) intermediate thin-film is proposed and experimentally investigated by including the annealing temperature effect. We elaborated the Au/ITO/p-Si structure by means of RF magnetron sputtering technique and compared its electrical properties with the conventional Au/p-Si SBD. The role of the annealing process at 200 and 400 °C as well as the ITO interface thin-layer in improving the SBD basic electrical parameters is analyzed. The characterization has revealed that a higher Schottky barrier (ϕb) of 0.79V is achieved. Moreover, close to unit ideality factor of (n = 1.25) and reduced density of states (Nss = 1.5 × 1012cm-2) and series resistance of (Rs = 32Ω) are recorded. These achievements can be attributed to the enhanced interface quality provided by introducing the ITO thin-film. Moreover, the annealing process enables improved crystallinity and allows efficient rearrangement of atoms at the interfaces. The thermal stability behavior of the investigated designs is analyzed, where new Figure of Merit (FoMs) parameters are proposed. It is found that the annealed Au/ITO/p-Si structure offers the opportunity for suppressing the degradation related-heating effects. Therefore, the proposed Au/ITO/p-Si SBD pinpoint a new path toward achieving superior electrical characteristics and improved thermal stability, which makes it a potential alternative for high-performance microelectronic and optoelectronic applications.

In this paper, a new Au/p-Si Schottky Barrier Diode (SBD) based on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) intermediate thin-film is proposed and experimentally investigated by including the annealing temperature effect. We elaborated the Au/ITO/p-Si structure by means of RF magnetron sputtering technique and compared its electrical properties with the conventional Au/p-Si SBD. The role of the annealing process at 200 and 400 °C as well as the ITO interface thin-layer in improving the SBD basic electrical parameters is analyzed. The characterization has revealed that a higher Schottky barrier (ϕb) of 0.79V is achieved. Moreover, close to unit ideality factor of (n = 1.25) and reduced density of states (Nss = 1.5 × 1012cm-2) and series resistance of (Rs = 32Ω) are recorded. These achievements can be attributed to the enhanced interface quality provided by introducing the ITO thin-film. Moreover, the annealing process enables improved crystallinity and allows efficient rearrangement of atoms at the interfaces. The thermal stability behavior of the investigated designs is analyzed, where new Figure of Merit (FoMs) parameters are proposed. It is found that the annealed Au/ITO/p-Si structure offers the opportunity for suppressing the degradation related-heating effects. Therefore, the proposed Au/ITO/p-Si SBD pinpoint a new path toward achieving superior electrical characteristics and improved thermal stability, which makes it a potential alternative for high-performance microelectronic and optoelectronic applications.

In this paper, a new Au/p-Si Schottky Barrier Diode (SBD) based on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) intermediate thin-film is proposed and experimentally investigated by including the annealing temperature effect. We elaborated the Au/ITO/p-Si structure by means of RF magnetron sputtering technique and compared its electrical properties with the conventional Au/p-Si SBD. The role of the annealing process at 200 and 400 °C as well as the ITO interface thin-layer in improving the SBD basic electrical parameters is analyzed. The characterization has revealed that a higher Schottky barrier (ϕb) of 0.79V is achieved. Moreover, close to unit ideality factor of (n = 1.25) and reduced density of states (Nss = 1.5 × 1012cm-2) and series resistance of (Rs = 32Ω) are recorded. These achievements can be attributed to the enhanced interface quality provided by introducing the ITO thin-film. Moreover, the annealing process enables improved crystallinity and allows efficient rearrangement of atoms at the interfaces. The thermal stability behavior of the investigated designs is analyzed, where new Figure of Merit (FoMs) parameters are proposed. It is found that the annealed Au/ITO/p-Si structure offers the opportunity for suppressing the degradation related-heating effects. Therefore, the proposed Au/ITO/p-Si SBD pinpoint a new path toward achieving superior electrical characteristics and improved thermal stability, which makes it a potential alternative for high-performance microelectronic and optoelectronic applications.

In this paper, a new Au/p-Si Schottky Barrier Diode (SBD) based on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) intermediate thin-film is proposed and experimentally investigated by including the annealing temperature effect. We elaborated the Au/ITO/p-Si structure by means of RF magnetron sputtering technique and compared its electrical properties with the conventional Au/p-Si SBD. The role of the annealing process at 200 and 400 °C as well as the ITO interface thin-layer in improving the SBD basic electrical parameters is analyzed. The characterization has revealed that a higher Schottky barrier (ϕb) of 0.79V is achieved. Moreover, close to unit ideality factor of (n = 1.25) and reduced density of states (Nss = 1.5 × 1012cm-2) and series resistance of (Rs = 32Ω) are recorded. These achievements can be attributed to the enhanced interface quality provided by introducing the ITO thin-film. Moreover, the annealing process enables improved crystallinity and allows efficient rearrangement of atoms at the interfaces. The thermal stability behavior of the investigated designs is analyzed, where new Figure of Merit (FoMs) parameters are proposed. It is found that the annealed Au/ITO/p-Si structure offers the opportunity for suppressing the degradation related-heating effects. Therefore, the proposed Au/ITO/p-Si SBD pinpoint a new path toward achieving superior electrical characteristics and improved thermal stability, which makes it a potential alternative for high-performance microelectronic and optoelectronic applications.

In this paper, a transparent conductive ITO/Ag/ITO (IAI) multilayer structure with a high Haacke Figure of Merit (FoM) far surpassing those found up to now is experimentally demonstrated. An optimized IAI multilayer electrode was elaborated by means of RF magnetron sputtering technique. The structural and electrical characteristics of the prepared tri-layered design were investigated. The influence of the annealing process on the IAI electrode performance was also carried out. Unlike the IAI structure as-deposited, it was revealed that the annealed samples maintained an average transparency superior than 89%. This behavior indicates the effectiveness of the thermal treatment for ensuring favorable light management. In addition, it was found that the annealing process paves a new path toward improving the electrode conductivity, where the heat treated electrode at 600°C yielded a very low sheet resistance of 2.95Ω × sq-1. Therefore, by well optimizing both IAI geometry and annealing conditions, we were able to elaborate high-quality coating with a superior FoM of 120.8 × 10-3Ω-1. This makes the sputtered IAI multilayer design a suitable alternative to the conventional ITO-based electrodes for optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications.

In this paper, a transparent conductive ITO/Ag/ITO (IAI) multilayer structure with a high Haacke Figure of Merit (FoM) far surpassing those found up to now is experimentally demonstrated. An optimized IAI multilayer electrode was elaborated by means of RF magnetron sputtering technique. The structural and electrical characteristics of the prepared tri-layered design were investigated. The influence of the annealing process on the IAI electrode performance was also carried out. Unlike the IAI structure as-deposited, it was revealed that the annealed samples maintained an average transparency superior than 89%. This behavior indicates the effectiveness of the thermal treatment for ensuring favorable light management. In addition, it was found that the annealing process paves a new path toward improving the electrode conductivity, where the heat treated electrode at 600°C yielded a very low sheet resistance of 2.95Ω × sq-1. Therefore, by well optimizing both IAI geometry and annealing conditions, we were able to elaborate high-quality coating with a superior FoM of 120.8 × 10-3Ω-1. This makes the sputtered IAI multilayer design a suitable alternative to the conventional ITO-based electrodes for optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications.

In this paper, a transparent conductive ITO/Ag/ITO (IAI) multilayer structure with a high Haacke Figure of Merit (FoM) far surpassing those found up to now is experimentally demonstrated. An optimized IAI multilayer electrode was elaborated by means of RF magnetron sputtering technique. The structural and electrical characteristics of the prepared tri-layered design were investigated. The influence of the annealing process on the IAI electrode performance was also carried out. Unlike the IAI structure as-deposited, it was revealed that the annealed samples maintained an average transparency superior than 89%. This behavior indicates the effectiveness of the thermal treatment for ensuring favorable light management. In addition, it was found that the annealing process paves a new path toward improving the electrode conductivity, where the heat treated electrode at 600°C yielded a very low sheet resistance of 2.95Ω × sq-1. Therefore, by well optimizing both IAI geometry and annealing conditions, we were able to elaborate high-quality coating with a superior FoM of 120.8 × 10-3Ω-1. This makes the sputtered IAI multilayer design a suitable alternative to the conventional ITO-based electrodes for optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications.