Current transport mechanism of n-type nanocrystalline FeSi2/intrinsic si/p-type si heterojunctions fabricated by facing-targets direct-current sputtering

N-Type nanocrystalline FeSi2/intrinsic Si/p-type Si heterojunctions were successfully fabricated by FTDCS and their forward current-voltage characteristics at low temperatures were analyzed on the basis of thermionic emission theory. The analysis of J-V characteristics exhibits an increase in the ideality factor and a decrease in the barrier height at low temperatures. The values of ideality factor were estimated to be 2.26 at 300 K and 9.29 at 77 K. The temperature dependent ideality factor together with the constant value of parameter A indicated that a trap assisted multistep tunneling process is the dominant carrier transport mechanism in this heterojunction. At high voltages, the current transport mechanism is dominated by SCLC process. © (2013) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.