title: Electronic Properties of DNA-Based Schottky Barrier Diodes in Response to Alpha Particles.
abstract: Detection of nuclear radiation such as alpha particles has become an important field of research in recent history due to nuclear threats and accidents. In this context; deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) acting as an organic semiconducting material could be utilized in a metal/semiconductor Schottky junction for detecting alpha particles. In this work we demonstrate for the first time the effect of alpha irradiation on an Al/DNA/p-Si/Al Schottky diode by investigating its current-voltage characteristics. The diodes were exposed for different periods (0-20 min) of irradiation. Various diode parameters such as ideality factor, barrier height, series resistance, Richardson constant and saturation current were then determined using conventional, Cheung and Cheung's and Norde methods. Generally, ideality factor or n values were observed to be greater than unity, which indicates the influence of some other current transport mechanism besides thermionic processes. Results indicated ideality factor variation between 9.97 and 9.57 for irradiation times between the ranges 0 to 20 min. Increase in the series resistance with increase in irradiation time was also observed when calculated using conventional and Cheung and Cheung's methods. These responses demonstrate that changes in the electrical characteristics of the metal-semiconductor-metal diode could be further utilized as sensing elements to detect alpha particles.
authors.affiliation: Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), Department of Physics, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. hassankirkukly@gmail.com.|Department of Physics, University of AL-Muthanna, 66001 AL-Muthanna, Iraq. hassankirkukly@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hassan Maktuff Jaber
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Al-Ta'ii
authors.affiliation: Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), Department of Physics, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. vengadeshp@um.edu.my.
authors.forename: Vengadesh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Periasamy
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. yusoffmohdamin@um.edu.my.
authors.forename: Yusoff Mohd
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Amin
mesh_terms: D000512:Alpha Particles; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004581:Electronics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012666:Semiconductors
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: DNA; alpha particle; barrier height; richardson constant; schottky diode; series resistance