Effects of dielectric thickness and contact area on current-voltage characteristics of thin film metal-insulator-metal diodes

Planar asymmetric Ni-NiO-Cr/Au thin film Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) tunnel diodes were fabricated for use in an ultra-sensitive infrared detector operating at room temperature. MIM diodes with contact areas of 100 μm² and 1 μm² were fabricated using standard Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems techniques. A linear relationship between the thickness of reactively sputtered Nickel Oxide (NiO) and the breakdown voltage was experimentally determined, and the diode performance was verified using a theoretical approach. Current-Voltage measurements of the MIM diode revealed an increase in the current from 1.5 nA to 0.8 mA, when the thickness of the dielectric and the contact area of the detector decreased. Also, the rectification ratios of the detectors were determined, exhibiting an asymmetry of 4.5 at 1 V and 6 at 0.2 V for detectors A and B, respectively. Further, the ratio was observed to be increasing with bias voltage suggesting a strong asymmetric behavior. The results are in agreement with the theoretical predictions confirming conduction via tunneling. The nonlinearity and asymmetry exhibited by these diodes suggests their viability in infrared applications.