Fabrication and Electrical Transport Properties of Triple-Barrier GaAs-BASED M–p–n–M Structures
Abstract
Engineering multi-barrier potential profiles provides an effective approach to controlling charge-carrier transport in semiconductor structures. In this work, three configurations of triple-barrier GaAs-based metal–p–n–metal (M–p–n–M) structures were fabricated on semi-insulating GaAs substrates using liquid phase epitaxy (LPE). The layer composition and semitransparent metal contacts (Ag, Au) were deliberately designed to form a coupled system of metal–semiconductor and p - n junctions. The electrical transport properties were investigated over a wide voltage range, and the current–voltage characteristics were comparatively analyzed. In the low-bias regime, the current follows a power-law dependence I ~ V0.5, indicating generation-dominated transport. With increasing bias, a transition to a quasi-ohmic region and subsequent breakdown behavior was observed. In the high-field regime, linear regions in the ln(I/U2) versus 1/U dependence confirm the dominance of field-assisted transport mechanisms within the barrier regions. The results demonstrate that electric-field redistribution and barrier coupling play key roles in governing charge transport in triple-barrier structures, providing a foundation for the further development of advanced semiconductor devices.
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