Au/Cr-ZnO-Ni structured metal-insulator-metal diode fabrication using Langmuir-Blodgett technique for infrared sensing

The thin nanolayer film of ZnO was synthesized through Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) organic precursor film. The zinc stearate monolayer was formed at air-water interface using zinc acetate as a subphase. The zinc stearate monolayers were deposited on silicon (Si), glass, and gold (Au)/chromium (Cr) plated Silicon (Si) substrates using LB technique. Later, the zinc stearate multilayers LB films on various substrates were annealed at two different temperatures (300 degrees C and 550 degrees C) for the fabrication of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanolayer film. The zinc stearate monolayers as well zinc oxide (ZnO) nanolayer films were characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction techniques. The X-ray diffraction measurement has shown the hexagonal wurtzite structure of the ZnO nanolayer on the substrate. The average surface roughness was estimated to be 1.076 nm using AFM technique. The metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diode structure was realized by sandwiching ZnO nanolayer film between thin layer of Gold (Au)/Chromium (Cr) and Nickel (Ni) on silicon substrates. The electron tunneling conduction mechanism is understood through the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of MIM diode. The highest measured sensitivity magnitude of 20 in inverse of voltage (V-1) with rectification ratio of nearly 10 at +/- 400 mV in MIM diode is an indicative of its potential application in infrared sensing applications. However, the thin film of ZnO synthesized using LB film as an insulating layer in metal-insulator-metal diode structure was studied for the first time.