Temperature-dependent electrical properties of schottky barrier diodes based on carbon nanotube arrays

The article delves into the temperature-dependent electrical properties of Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) based on carbon nanotube arrays, emphasizing their significance in high-frequency and high-speed applications. The study focuses on the unique properties of carbon nanotubes, such as high intrinsic carrier mobility and low intrinsic capacitance, which make them promising candidates for manufacturing high-performance SBDs. The research involves the preparation of high-density and high-purity aligned carbon nanotube arrays using advanced methods like dimension-limited self-alignment (DLSA) procedure. The authors analyze the electrical parameters, including ideality factors and Schottky barrier heights, over a wide temperature range to understand the current conduction mechanisms. The findings reveal anomalous temperature dependence of these parameters, which is attributed to the inhomogeneity of the Schottky barrier. The study also considers various current components, such as thermal emission, generation-recombination, tunneling, and leakage current, to explain the non-ideal temperature-dependent behavior of the SBDs. The article concludes by highlighting the potential of carbon nanotube-based SBDs for high-frequency applications, with a speculative link between the Schottky barrier inhomogeneity and the diameter distribution of the carbon nanotubes. This comprehensive analysis offers valuable insights into the development of next-generation high-frequency devices.