Papers by Author: C.K. Tan

Abstract: The Current-Voltage-Temperature (I-V-T) characteristics of single layer deposition, consisting of Zr, Ti, or Cr/p-GaN Schottky diodes were determined in the temperature range 27- 100oC. Sputtering method was used for deposition of these metals on p-GaN. Analysis of the measured characteristics at room temperature allows the determination of the electrical parameters, the saturation current Io and the ideality factorη. The barrier heights and effective Richardson coefficients were determined through activation energy plot. It was found that pinning of Fermi level occurred for these metal contacts on p-GaN with the carrier concentration of 5.6x 1017 cm-3, where the Schottky barrier heights of Zr, Ti, or Cr/p-GaN are determined to be in the same range (~0.87eV).

Abstract: The barrier height of as-deposited Cr contacts was found to be ΦB= 0.87eV with the ideality of η=1.51 and remained almost unchanged after further annealing at 500 oC for 5 minutes. The barrier height of diodes were increased drastically after annealed at 600 oC where ΦB=1.01eV with η=1.69. Upon annealing at 700 oC for 5 minutes, the ΦB decreased to 0.61eV and the Cr diodes were degraded for higher temperature in this annealing duration. The ΦB remained in 0.80- 0.90eV respectively at 800 oC for 2 minutes and 900-1000 oC for 1 minute.

Abstract: There is a particular interest in the development of wide band gap semiconductor gas sensor because of their potential for high temperature operation and the ability to integrate them with power or microwave electrodes or with UV solar-blind detector and emitters fabricated in the same materials. AlGaN based devices are attractive for gas sensing in automotive exhausts and flow-gas, because of strong spontaneous polarization of AlGaN (free carrier concentration profiles inside this material that is very sensitive to any manipulation of surface change). In this report, we characterized the Ni/AlGaN/Sapphire Schottky barriers as hydrogen gas sensor at temperature range of 25°C to 500°C. A change in forward current was obtained in response to a change in ambient from pure N2 to 2% H2/ 98% N2, higher than the change in forward current obtained in Ni/GaN or Ni/Si Schottky diodes measured under the same conditions. The sensor response time was independent on the rate of mass transport of gas into the test chamber, while at high temperature, dissociation of gas controlled by the diffusion of atomic hydrogen through the metal/AlGaN surface, increased the sensor response time.

Abstract: In this paper we report on the characteristics of Pd/GaN and Pd/Si Schottky barriers exposed to different gases at various temperature range from 25°C to 500°C. The characteristics of Pd/GaN and Pd/Si Schottky barriers as gas sensors were measured as a function of temperature and ambient. Both types of sensor show changes in forward current upon introduction of different gases (N2, air, H2) into the ambient. The devices can be operated at large forward current, leading to large signal size for current at short response time for switching from one gas ambient to another such as N2 to H2 (2%) in N2. The signal size increases with the increase in measurement temperature due to more efficient cracking of the gas molecules. Both types of devices appear well suited to combustion control and leak detection.

Abstract: Pd Schottky diode exhibited stable rectifying behavior up to 500°C for 35 minutes in sequential annealing; with the Schottky barrier heights (SBHs), ΦB (I-V) of 0.6-0.7eV with the leakage current (LC) of 20 A at -5V. With the same range of SBHs, PdSi diodes were stable up to 500°C for 5 minutes with the LC of 0.182mA at -5V. The electrical characteristics obtained in this study are also compared with those obtained for Pd and PdSi Schottky diodes on p-GaN.