Effects of intermediate semiconductor layers on carrier transport mechanisms through p-ZnSe/metals interfaces

The effects of formation of intermediate semiconductor layers at p-ZnSe/metals interfaces on carrier transport mechanisms were studied by comparing contacts prepared by the deposition and annealing (DA) technique or the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) technique. Current density vs voltage (J-V) curves of the MBE contact with a p-ZnSe/p-ZnTe superlattice intermediate layer showed ohmic behavior. However, J-V curves of the DA contact with a ZnTe intermediate layer showed rectifying behavior. The difference of the electrical properties between these two contacts was due to existence of a highly resistive intermediate layer with highly dense defects in the DA contact and a low resistance p-type conductive intermediate layer with relatively small densities of crystalline defects in the MBE contacts. From the present results, it was concluded that formation of the highly resistive semiconductor layer with dense crystalline defects prevented the DA contact to transit from non-ohmic J-V behavior to ohmic.