1000/spl deg/C operation of diamond Schottky diode

Due to the bandgap energy of 5.45 eV, the diamond intrinsic carrier concentration is 10/sup 10/cm/sup -3/ at 1000°C. This is a density found in Si at room temperature and similar device performance may be expected. On the other hand, a number of materials and fabrication difficulties have prevented such a demonstration up to now. The Schottky materials system presented here consisted of a chemically stabilized highly doped (quasi-metallic) Si interfacial layer to diamond, a nitrogen stuffed sputter deposited Si:W alloy and an Au overlap. The (W:Si)N diffusion barrier limited the use of the Au overlay to approximately 800°C. Without this overlayer operation up to 1000°C could be demonstrated. At 1000°C breakdown was observed at 30 V. However, similar devices have shown breakdown voltages up to 150 V at room temperature. A rectification ratio of Ion/Ioff=10 is maintained. To the authors knowledge this is the first demonstration of Schottky barrier operation at very high temperatures.