Effect of Threading Dislocations on Local Contacts in Epitaxial ZnO Films

Abstract

Local conductance of a ZnO epifilm with a columnar-grain structure was studied by conductive-mode atomic force microscopy. The probe-ZnO junction at the grain boundary with high density edge threading dislocations (TDs) behaves as a Schottky contact while the junction at the epitaxial core behaves as an ohmic contact, resulting in the nonuniformity of conductance throughout the film. The calculated Schottky barrier is 0.4 +/- 0.025 eV. The point defects of doubly charged Zn vacancies accumulated at the edge TDs induce local band bending of ZnO, thus contributing to the Schottky nature at the grain boundary.