Abstract
Single-crystal CdTe was grown using the vapour phase technique. The dice were suitably etched and isothermally annealed in air for different times (0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4
h) at 673
K. Schottky diodes were fabricated by vacuum evaporation of Au onto CdTe single-crystal substrates which were isothermally annealed. The behaviour of Au–CdTe devices was studied as a function of time using capacitance–voltage and current–voltage analysis. The isothermal anneal technique was found to produce a significant change in the electrical properties of Au–CdTe Schottky barriers such as barrier height, carrier concentration, ideality factor and depletion width. The results were discussed in terms of various theories of Schottky barrier formation.