The electrical properties of hydrogen-terminated silicon (H–Si) surfaces were investigated by the assembly and testing of reliable and reproducible mercury–silicon junctions. When a H–Si surface is exposed to air under ambient conditions, the current density–bias voltage curve of the thus formed mercury–silicon junction initially maintains ohmic characteristics for a period of 8–12 h and then evolves to diode behavior. The current density substantially decreases, but can be recovered to a certain extent upon sonication in organic solvents. In agreement with infrared spectroscopic results, organic contamination of H–Si is suggested to play an important role in the transition of the electrical properties.
REFERENCES
1.
A.
Licciardello
, O.
Puglisi
, and S.
Pignataro
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
48
, 41
(1986
).2.
T.
Takahagi
, S.
Shingubara
, H.
Sakaue
, K.
Hoshino
, and H.
Yashima
, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Part 2
35
, L818
(1996
).3.
4.
T.
Ogata
, C.
Ban
, A.
Ueyama
, S.
Muranaka
, T.
Hayashi
, K.
Kobayashi
, J.
Kobayashi
, H.
Kurokawa
, Y.
Ohno
, and M.
Hirayama
, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Part 1
37
, 2468
(1998
).5.
6.
For recent reviews see,
A. B.
Sieval
, R.
Linke
, H.
Zuihof
, and E. J. R.
Sudhölter
, Adv. Mater.
12
, 1457
(2000
);D. D. M.
Wayner
and R. A.
Wolkow
, J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 2
, 23
(2002
);7.
P.
Allongue
, C.
Henry de Villeneuve
, S.
Morin
, R.
Boukherroub
, and D. D. M.
Wayner
, Electrochim. Acta
45
, 4591
(2000
).8.
S.
Ye
, T.
Ichihara
, and K.
Uosaki
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
75
, 1562
(1999
);S.
Ye
, T.
Saito
, S.
Nihonyanagi
, K.
Uosaki
, P. B.
Miranda
, D.
Kim
, and Y. R.
Shen
, Surf. Sci.
476
, 121
(2001
).9.
10.
K.
Slowinski
, H. K. Y.
Fong
, and M.
Majda
, J. Am. Chem. Soc.
121
, 7257
(1999
);M. A.
Rampi
, O. J. A.
Schueller
, and G. M.
Whitesides
, Appl. Phys. Lett.
72
, 1781
(1998
);Y.
Selzer
, A.
Salomon
, and D.
Cahen
, J. Am. Chem. Soc.
124
, 2886
(2002
).11.
The contact angles provided here are thermodynamic equilibrated contact angles, which were determined on an AST Optima contact angle system at ambient conditions.
12.
13.
An alternative approach to understand the transition is to consider the barrier width, which should increase with the amount of adsorbed organic contaminates on the surface.
14.
ATR-FTIR spectra were recorded using a Nicolet Nexus 470 FTIR spectrometer at a resolution. The ATR crystals were mounted in a purged chamber with the light focused normal to one of the 45 bevels. Background spectra were obtained using a freshly oxidized silicon surface.
15.
M.
Niwano
, J.
Kageyama
, K.
Kurita
, K.
Kinashi
, I.
Takahashi
, and N.
Miyamoto
, J. Appl. Phys.
76
, 2157
(1994
);T.
Miura
, M.
Niwano
, D.
Shoji
, and N.
Miyamoto
, J. Appl. Phys.
79
, 4373
(1996
).
This content is only available via PDF.
© 2002 American Institute of Physics.
2002
American Institute of Physics
You do not currently have access to this content.
