Silicon-Nanowire-Based Schottky Diode With Near-Ideal Breakdown Voltage

We report on nanoscaled Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) formed between N-type silicon nanowires (SiNWs) and nickel silicide. A top-down approach was used to achieve SiNWs with a dimension of ~ 120 nm. Ni was deposited and annealed and reacted completely with the SiNWs underneath to form nickel silicide. SBDs are formed between the SiNWs and nickel silicide, which reveal strong rectifying characteristic. The devices exhibit a high breakdown voltage of at least 70% of the theoretical ideal value, attributed to the unique structure of the SiNW SBDs which do not suffer from field crowding, as also confirmed by our simulation results. This is an advantage compared with bulk devices where complicated termination techniques have to be employed to alleviate field crowding and improve the breakdown voltage.