Tunneling Currents in Zinc Oxide

Abstract

An examination of the current-voltage characteristics of gold and palladium surface barriers on degenerate zinc oxide has been made. Both chemically prepared and cleaved surfaces were studied. The current conduction mode is shown to be thermionic-field emission at room temperature and to be pure field emission at liquid-nitrogen temperatures. The voltage dependence of the current is in good agreement with theory. The observed current magnitudes in both current modes were approximately one-tenth that calculated by simple theory.

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