Fowler-Nordheim tunneling in β-Ga₂O₃/SrRuO₃ Schottky interfaces

Abstract Interfaces in heterostructures always emerge as prototype electronic devices with tunable functionality. The fundamental properties of these interfaces can be finely manipulated by epitaxy engineering. Recently, heterostructures based on Ga2O3, an ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor, have been reported for use in high powered device applications. Herein, we will demonstrate a heterostructure of β-Ga2O3/SrRuO3 integrated on c-plane sapphire, where the high density of edge dislocations are evidenced in the heterostructure interfaces. Apart from the dominant Schottky emission mechanism, Fowler-Nordheim tunneling is also revealed by leakage current analysis, which may be ascribed to the edge dislocations at the interfaces. These results boost the basic understanding of ultra-wide bandgap materials and devices.