In-Depth Electrical Characterization of Carrier Transport in Tellurium/Silicon Heterojunction-Based p-n Diode

Abstract

A comprehensive electrical characterization of a p-n diode constructed from a Te/n-Si heterostructure was presented in this work. Fabricated using CMOS-compatible RF sputtering, the device exhibited a typical diode behavior. Key electrical parameters including the ideality factor, series resistance, built-in potential, and interface state density were precisely extracted from temperature-dependent current-voltage measurements and capacitance-voltage analyses. The ideality factor decreased with increasing temperature, attributed to interface states and barrier inhomogeneities, while the decrease in series resistance with increasing temperature was a result of improved semiconductor conductivity due to increased intrinsic carrier concentration, reduced contact resistance at interfaces, and enhanced conduction through activated trap states. The reverse-bias current was dominated primarily by a thermal generation mechanism rather than by diffusion. Notably, the Te/n-Si diode demonstrated promising temperature sensing capabilities with a high sensitivity.