Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diodes play significant role in high speed electronics where high frequency rectification is needed. Quantum based tunneling mechanism helps MIM diodes to rectify at high frequency signals. Rectenna, antenna coupled MIM diodes are becoming popular due to their potential use as IR detectors and energy harvesters. Because of small active area, MIM diodes could easily be incorporated into integrated circuits (IC's). The objective of the work is to design and develop MIM diodes for high frequency rectification. In this work, thin insulating layer of ZnO was fabricated using Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique which facilitates ultrathin thin, uniform and pinhole free fabrication of insulating layer. The ZnO layer was synthesized from organic precursor of zinc acetate layer. The optimization in the LB technique of fabrication process led to fabricate MIM diodes with high non-linearity and sensitivity. Moreover, the top and bottom electrodes as well as active area of the diodes were patterned using UV-tunneling conduction mechanism. The highest sensitivity of the diode was measured around 37 (A/W), and the rectification ratio was found around 36 under low applied bias at ±100 mV.
The thin nanolayer film of ZnO was synthesized through Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) organic precursor film. The zinc stearate monolayer was formed at air-water interface using zinc acetate as a subphase. The zinc stearate monolayers were deposited on silicon (Si), glass, and gold (Au)/chromium (Cr) plated Silicon (Si) substrates using LB technique. Later, the zinc stearate multilayers LB films on various substrates were annealed at two different temperatures (300oC and 550oC) for the fabrication of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanolayer film. The zinc stearate monolayers as well zinc oxide (ZnO) nanolayer films were characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction techniques. The X-ray diffraction measurement has shown the hexagonal wurtzite structure of the ZnO nanolayer on the substrate. The average surface roughness was estimated to be 1.076 nm using AFM technique. The metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diode structure was realized by sandwiching ZnO nanolayer film between thin layer of Gold (Au)/Chromium (Cr) and Nickel (Ni) on silicon substrates. The electron tunneling conduction mechanism is understood through the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of MIM diode. The highest measured sensitivity magnitude of 20 in inverse of voltage (V-1) with rectification ratio of nearly 10 at ±400 mV in MIM diode is an indicative of its potential application in infrared sensing applications. However, the thin film of ZnO synthesized using LB film as an insulating layer in metal-insulator-metal diode structure was studied for the first time.
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