Platinum (Pt) and palladium (Pd) Schottky diodes onn‐type GaN grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition were achieved and investigated. Aluminum was used for ohmic contacts. Barrier heights were determined to be as high as &Fgr;B=1.13 eV by the current–voltage (I–V) method and &Fgr;B=1.27 eV by the capacitance–voltage (C–V) method for the Pt/GaN diode, and &Fgr;B=1.11 eV, &Fgr;B=0.96 eV, and &Fgr;B=1.24 eV byI–V, activation energy (I–V–T), andC–Vmethods for the Pd/GaN diode, respectively. The ideality factors were obtained to ben∼1.10. ©1996 American Institute of Physics.