Effect of interfacial defects on the electronic properties of graphene/g-GaN heterostructures

To gain deep insights into their interactions, the effects of interfacial defects on the structural and electronic properties of graphene/g-GaN heterostructures were investigated by using first-principles calculations. The graphene/g-GaN-V(Ga) heterostructure maintains a p-type Schottky contact in the spin-up channel and the Schottky barrier height (SBH) is decreased to 0.332 eV, but there is not a metal/semiconductor contact in the spin-down channel. However, the n-type SBH is negative for the graphene/g-GaN-V(N) heterostructure, indicating an ohmic contact. Furthermore, the SBH in the graphene/g-GaN heterostructure can be effectively modulated by the interlayer distance. The research could provide a strategy for the development and fabrication of efficient novel nanoelectronic devices.