Synthesis and Characterization of Nanostructured Multi-Layer Cr/SnO<sub>2</sub>/NiO/Cr Coatings Prepared via E-Beam Evaporation Technique for Metal-Insulator-Insulator-Metal Diodes

oleh: Sana Abrar, Muhammad Bilal Hanif, Abdulaziz Salem Alghamdi, Abdul Khaliq, K. S. Abdel Halim, Tayyab Subhani, Martin Motola, Abdul Faheem Khan

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-05-01

Deskripsi

Enhanced non-linearity and asymmetric behavior of the Cr/metal oxide diode is reported, with the addition of two insulator layers of SnO<sub>2</sub> and NiO to form the metal-insulator-insulator-metal (MIIM) configuration. Such an MIIM diode shows potential for various applications (rectifiers and electronic equipment) which enable the femtosecond fast intoxication in MIIM diodes. In this work, nanostructured multi-layer Cr/SnO<sub>2</sub>/NiO/Cr coatings were fabricated via e-beam evaporation with the following thicknesses: 150 nm/20 nm/10 nm/150 nm. Coatings were characterized via Rutherford backscattering (RBS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and two-probe conductivity testing. RBS confirmed the layered structure and optimal stoichiometry of the coatings. A non-linear and asymmetric behavior at <1.5 V applied bias with the non-linearity maximum of 2.6 V<sup>−1</sup> and the maximum sensitivity of 9.0 V<sup>−1</sup> at the DC bias point was observed. The promising performance of the coating is due to two insulating layers which enables resonant tunneling and/or step-tunneling. Based on the properties, the present multi-layer coatings can be employed for MIIM application.