Reduced graphene oxide–silicon interface involving direct Si–O bonding as a conductive and mechanical stable ohmic contact

Metal–semiconductor junctions are essential contacts for semiconductor devices, but high contact junction resistance is a limiting operational factor. Here, we establish an ohmic contact of low resistance of <4 × 10−6 Ω cm2 between platinum and n-type Si (111)–H surfaces. This involved Si–O covalent bonding a monolayer of graphene oxide (GO) to the Si surface followed by electrochemical reduction to form reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Current–voltage plots demonstrate that the GO/rGO transformation is associated with a change from a rectifying to an ohmic contact. The process is a viable method for constructing semiconductor–rGO interfaces and demonstrates that GO/rGO monolayers can be used as active components in tuning the contact resistance of metal–semiconductor junctions.