T. Sato et al., Electrical properties of nanometer-sized Schottky contacts on n-GaAs and n-InP formed by in situ electrochemical process, JPN J A P 1, 39(7B), 2000, pp. 4609-4615
The current transport characteristics of nanometer-sized Schottky contacts
were investigated from theoretical and experimental viewpoints. A theoretic
al calculation of the three dimensional (3D) potential distributions showed
that the potential shape underneath the nano-Schottky contacts was conside
rably modified by the surface Fermi level pinning on the air exposed free s
urfaces, producing a saddle point in the potential. The curl ent-voltage (I
-V) curves were strongly influenced by this saddle point potential and resu
lted in nonlinear log I-V characteristics. Experimentally, the Pt nano-part
icles were selectively formed using the in situ electrochemical process on
n-type GaAs and n-type InP substrates patterned using electron-beam (EB) li
thography. Their I-V measurements were carried out using an atomic force mi
croscopy (AFM) system equipped with a conductive probe. The log I-V curves
of the nano-Schottky contacts showed nonlinear characteristics with large n
values of 1.96 for n-GaAs and 1.27 for n-InP and could be very well explai
ned by the theoretical I-V curves considering the "environmental" Fermi lev
el pinning.