Molecular control over Ag/p-Si diode by organic layer Original Research Article

Electrical transport properties of Ag metal-fluorescein sodium salt (FSS) organic layer-silicon junction have been investigated. The current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of the diode show rectifying behavior consistent with a potential barrier formed at the interface. The diode indicates a non-ideal I–V behavior with an ideality factor higher than unity. The ideality factor of the Ag/FSS/p-Si diode decreases with increasing temperature and the barrier height increases with increasing temperature. The barrier height (φb=0.98 eV) obtained from the capacitance–voltage (C–V) curve is higher than barrier height (φb=0.72 eV) derived from the I–V measurements. The barrier height of the Ag/FSS/p-Si Schottky diode at the room temperature is significantly larger than that of the Ag/p-Si Schottky diode. It is evaluated that the FSS organic layer controls electrical charge transport properties of Ag/p-Si diode by excluding effects of the SiO2 residual oxides on the hybrid diode.