Characterization of 2D boron nitride nanosheets with hysteresis effect in the Schottky junctions

Abstract

Abstract Carbon doped two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) are obtained through a CO2—pulsed laser deposition (CO2—PLD) technique on silicon dioxide (SiO2) or molybdenum (Mo) substrates, showing - stable hysteresis characteristics over a wide range of temperatures, which makes them a promising candidate for materials based on non-volatile memory devices. This innovative material with electronic properties of n-type characterized in the form of back-to-back Schottky diodes appears to have special features that can enhance the device performance and data retention due to its functional properties, thermal-mechanical stability, and its relation with resistive switching phenomena. It can also be used to eliminate sneak current in resistive random-access memory devices in a crossbar array. In this sense constitutes a good alternative to design two series of resistance-switching Schottky barrier models in the gold/BNNS/gold and gold/BNNS/molybdenum structures; thus, symmetrical and non-symmetrical characteristics are shown at low and high bias voltages as indicated by the electrical current-voltage (I–V) curves. On the one hand, the charge recombination caused by thermionic emission does not significantly change the rectification characteristics of the diode, only its hysteresis properties change due to the increase in external voltage in the Schottky junctions. The addition of carbon to BNNSs creates boron vacancies that exhibit partially ionic character, which also helps to enhance its electrical properties at the metal-BNNS-metal interface.