Electronic characterization of Al/p-Si metal/semiconductor photodiodes with novel Azo-azomethine Schiff base compound interlayers
摘要
The designed bidentate Azo-azomethine Schiff base compounds (Az-1, Az-2 and Az-3) have been synthesized from the reaction of (E)-5-((4-ethylphenyl)diazenyl)-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde 1 with different aniline derivatives. Compound structures were characterized by the combination of 13C-NMR, 1H-NMR, FTIR, UV-Visible spectroscopy, HRMS data and elemental analyses. In addition to these analyses, single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies determined solid-state structure of Az-1. Compound interlayers were successfully deposited onto p-type silicon (p-Si) substrates using the spin-coating method to fabricate compound-modified Al/interlayer/p-Si diodes. The electrical characteristics of the fabricated diodes were evaluated through current-voltage (I-V) measurements under dark condition. It was seen that Schiff base compounds used as interfacial modifiers in Al/p-Si Schottky diodes could significantly alter the electronic barrier, influencing key parameters such as leakage current (I0), junction resistance (RJ), ideality factor (η), series resistance (Rs), barrier height (ΦB), rectification rate (RR). Also, the photodiode performance was assessed by measuring the photocurrent response under varying illumination intensities with help of a solar simulator. The results offer significant insights into the optoelectronic properties of diodes modified with azo-azomethine compounds, revealing how these molecular modifications influence charge transport and light-response characteristics. This highlights the promising role of azo-azomethine-based molecular engineering in the development of advanced optoelectronic devices.