Characterization of high-temperature PbTe p-n junctions prepared by thermal diffusion and by ion-implantation

We describe here the characteristics of two types of high-quality PbTe p-n-junctions, prepared in this work: (1) by thermal diffusion of In4Te3 gas (TDJ), and (2) by ion implantation (implanted junction, IJ) of In (In-IJ) and Zn (Zn-IJ). The results, as presented here, demonstrate the high quality of these PbTe diodes. Capacitance-voltage and current-voltage characteristics have been measured. The measurements were carried out over a temperature range from ~ 10 K to ~ 180 K. The latter was the highest temperature, where the diode still demonstrated rectifying properties. This maximum operating temperature is higher than any of the earlier reported results. The saturation current density, J0, in both diode types, was ~ 10^-5 A/cm2 at 80 K, while at 180 K J0 ~ 10^-1 A/cm2 in TDJ and ~ 1 A/cm2 in both ion-implanted junctions. At 80 K the reverse current started to increase markedly at a bias of ~ 400 mV for TDJ, and at ~550 mV for IJ. The ideality factor n was about 1.5-2 for both diode types at 80 K. The analysis of the C-V plots shows that the junctions in both diode types are linearly graded. The analysis of the C-V plots allows also determining the height of the junction barrier, the concentrations and the concentration gradient of the impurities, and the temperature dependence of the static dielectric constant. The zero-bias-resistance x area products (R0Ae) at 80 K are: 850 OHMcm2 for TDJ, 250 OHMcm2 for In-IJ, and ~ 80 OHMcm2 for Zn-IJ, while at 180 K R0Ae ~ 0.38 OHMcm2 for TDJ, and ~ 0.1 OHMcm2 for IJ. The estimated detectivity is: D* ~ 10^10 cmHz^(1/2)/W up to T=140 K, determined mainly by background radiation, while at T=180 K, D* decreases to 108-107 cmHz^(1/2)/W, and is determined by the Johnson noise

Percolation model for the superconductor-insulator transition in granular films

We study the temperature dependence of the superconductor-insulator transition in granular superconductors. Empirically, these systems are characterized by very broad resistance tails, which depend exponentially on the temperature, and the normal state resistance. We model these systems by a two-dimensional random resistor percolation networks in which the resistance between two grains is governed either by Josephson junction coupling or by quasi particle tunneling. Our numerical simulations as well as an effective medium evaluation explain the experimental results over a wide range of temperatures and resistances. Using effective medium approximation we find an analytical expression for the effective resistance of the system and the value of the critical resistance separating conducting from insulating branches.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure