Method of fabricating Schottky diode and related structure

A method of forming an improved Schottky diode structure as part of an integrated circuit fabrication process that includes the introduction of a selectable concentration of dopant into the surface of an epitaxial layer so as to form a barrier-modifying surface dopant layer. The epitaxial layer forms the cathode of the Schottky diode and a metal-silicide layer on the surface of the epitaxial layer forms the diode junction. The surface dopant layer positioned between the cathode and the diode junction is designed to raise or lower the barrier height between those two regions either to reduce the threshold turn-on potential of the diode, or to reduce the reverse leakage current of the transistor. The particular dopant conductivity used to form the surface dopant layer is dependent upon the conductivity of the epitaxial layer and the type of metal used to form the metal-silicide junction.