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Pressure-Induced Schottky-Ohmic Contact Transition in Pt/Si Heterojunction Via Interfacial Barrier Modulation for
Deyuan Yao1,2, Xiaomei Pan1,2, Xin Zhang2
1University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
|May 8, 2026
Summary
Applying high pressure to platinum/silicon (Pt/Si) Schottky junctions dynamically tunes the Schottky barrier height (SBH), leading to a Schottky-to-Ohmic transition and significantly boosting photoresponse in silicon optoelectronics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Silicon optoelectronics are vital due to cost-effectiveness and established manufacturing.
- Optimizing device performance relies on precise control of Schottky barrier height (SBH).
- Pressure presents a novel, non-destructive method for dynamic SBH modulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the effect of high pressure on Pt/Si Schottky junctions.
- Elucidate the mechanism of pressure-induced SBH modulation.
- Explore the impact of pressure-tuned SBH on photoelectric performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized high-pressure techniques to study Pt/Si Schottky junctions.
- Measured SBH changes under varying hydrostatic pressures.
- Analyzed interfacial properties and band structure reconstruction.
Main Results:
- SBH decreased monotonically from 0.713 to 0.446 eV with increasing pressure (-165.8 meV/GPa).
- A complete elimination of SBH (Schottky-to-Ohmic transition) occurred above 4.3 GPa.
- Photocurrent increased by 100-fold (532 nm) and 3400-fold (660 nm) due to the transition.
Conclusions:
- Pressure effectively modulates SBH in Pt/Si junctions by altering interfacial states and band structure.
- The pressure-induced Schottky-to-Ohmic transition significantly enhances photoresponse.
- This study offers a new strategy for designing advanced silicon optoelectronic devices.
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