Study on the effect of ZnO interlayer on the Au/Hg3In2Te6 Schottky contact characteristics

ZnO interlayer was deposited on the Hg3In2Te6 wafer surface by pulsed laser deposition method in this paper, then it was characterized. The chemical state of the interface was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the effect of the ZnO interlayer on the Au/Hg3In2Te6 Schottky contact characteristics was studied by semiconductor parameter analyzer. The results showed that, the ZnO interlayer grows along (002) crystal face preferentially with low roughness and high crystallinity in this experimental condition. From the I-V test, it can be obtained that the leakage current decreases one order of magnitude by introducing ZnO interlayer, and the Schottky barrier height of Au/ZnO/Hg3In2Te6 contact increases by 6.5%. It can be interpreted that ZnO/Hg3In2Te6 interface interdiffusion exists so that Hg atom vacancies are occupied by O atoms, which leads to the decrease of defect level in the depletion layer.