12-15 July 2011
Saint George Hotel
Africa/Johannesburg timezone

Metal-Semiconductor Ohmic Contacts: An ab initio Density Functional Theory Study of the Structural and Electronic Properties of Metal-Diamond (111)-(1x1) Interfaces.

14 Jul 2011, 17:00
2h
Asteria

Asteria

Poster Presentation Track G - Theoretical and Computational Physics Poster2

Speaker

Mr Isaac Motochi (PhD student, University of the Witwatersrand)

Description

Metal contacts on clean, hydrogenated and oxygenated diamond surfaces have been studied using ab initio Density Functional Theory. Five metals, i.e., gold, titanium, tantalum, vanadium and palladium on the three surfaces were considered. Gold and palladium were found to form weak bonds on clean, hydrogenated or oxygenated diamond (111) surfaces compared to the other three metals. Bulk properties were also studied following the formation of the respective ohmic contacts on the three surfaces. The clean diamond surface was found to have surface states which were modified by oxygen but removed by hydrogen. Density of states studies revealed that all the investigated metals had an effect on the electrical properties of the diamond surface. A peak that is characteristic of diamond was observed at ≈ -11.8 eV. For the clean diamond surface terminated with gold and palladium, states due to Au-2p orbitals were observed at ≈ -2.5 eV and ≈ -1.5 eV, while Pd-5s orbitals were located at ≈ -1.7 eV and ≈ -0.5 eV on the same surface. Titanium, tantalum and vanadium showed unique states at high binding energies of ≈ -38 eV for vanadium, ≈ -34 eV for tantalum and ≈ -32.5 eV for titanium, which were thought to be responsible for their strong bonding. Key words: Metal-diamond interface, Adsorption, ohmic contacts

Level (Hons, MSc, <br> &nbsp; PhD, other)? PhD Student
Consider for a student <br> &nbsp; award (Yes / No)? Yes
Would you like to <br> submit a short paper <br> for the Conference <br> Proceedings (Yes / No)? Yes

Primary author

Mr Isaac Motochi (PhD student, University of the Witwatersrand)

Presentation Materials