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Electromechanical tuning of nanoscale MIM diodes by nanoindentation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2013

Prakash Periasamy ,
Michael Scott Bradley ,
Philip A. Parilla ,
Joseph J. Berry ,
David S. Ginley ,
Ryan P. O’Hayre  and
Corinne E. Packard
Prakash Periasamy
Affiliation:
Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401
Michael Scott Bradley
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401
Philip A. Parilla
Affiliation:
National Center for Photovoltaics, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401
Joseph J. Berry
Affiliation:
National Center for Photovoltaics, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401
David S. Ginley
Affiliation:
National Center for Photovoltaics, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401
Ryan P. O’Hayre
Affiliation:
Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401
Corinne E. Packard*
Affiliation:
Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401; and National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: cpackard@mines.edu
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Abstract

Nanoscale metal–insulator–metal (MIM) diodes consisting of a nanoscale-thickness insulator layer sandwiched between two dissimilar metal layers offer the potential for very high frequency alternating current to direct current signal rectification. Active nanoscale tuning of electronic tunneling through the insulator layer to form point contact diodes has previously been limited to barriers composed of soft organic films due to the force limitations of conductive-atomic force microscopy. In this paper, MIM diodes with oxide-based insulators are formed in situ with sub-nanometer depth precision and characterized using a nanoindenter equipped with electrical testing capabilities. Simultaneous measurement of both electrical and nano-mechanical information is accomplished in an MIM stack of the form Nb/Nb2O5/boron-doped diamond nanoindenter tip. Using this technique, we show that the diode behavior can be electromechanically tuned over a range of more than 1 V at equivalent currents via small changes in indentation depth and the results can be modeled using a Fowler–Nordheim approximation.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 28 , Issue 14 , 28 July 2013 , pp. 1912 - 1919
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2013 

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Footnotes

b)

This author was an editor of this journal during the review and decision stage. For the JMR policy on review and publication of manuscripts authored by editors, please refer to http://www.mrs.org/jmr-editor-manuscripts/

References

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