The correlation between current transport mechanisms and etch features in Au-CdS single-crystal Schottky diodes

The effects of surface features on chemically etched (0001) planes of single-crystal CdS on the dark current transport mechanisms in Schottky diodes prepared on them by vacuum evaporation of gold are investigated. By combining scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations of these surface features with measurements of current-voltage (I-V) characteristics, the diode behaviour of the Schottky barriers is demonstrated to be strongly influenced by the surface topography. The temperature dependence of I-V capacitance-voltage (C-V) and photo-electric measurements are also studied in an attempt to correlate the junction parameters with surface features.