Low-resistance and thermally stable Pd/Ru ohmic contacts to p-type GaN

We report on low-resistance and thermally stable Pd/Ru ohmic contacts to surface-treated p-GaN (3 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³). It is shown that annealing at 500°C for 2 min in a N₂ ambient improves ohmic contact properties. Specific contact resistance is measured to be 9.2(±0.2) × 10⁻⁴ and 2.4(±0.2) × 10⁻⁵ Ωcm² for the as-deposited and annealed samples, respectively. Atomic force microscopy results show that the surfaces of both the contacts are remarkably smooth with a root-mean-square (rms) roughness of about 0.6 nm. The current-voltage-temperature (I-V-T) and calculation results indicate that, for the as-deposited contact, thermionic field emission is dominant, while for the annealed contact, field emission dominates the current flow.     

Low resistance, thermally stable Au/Pt/Ti/WSiN ohmic contacts on n+-InGaAs/n-GaAs layer systems

The electrical properties of the ohmic contact systems Au/Pt/Ti/WSiN and Au/Pt/Ti to n⁺-InGaAs/GaAs layers grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy were investigated and compared to each other. The thermal stability properties of these contact systems were characterized by accelerated stress tests at elevated temperatures and by complementary thin film x-ray diffraction analysis to evaluate the microstructural properties of degraded and nondegraded structures. The goal of these efforts was to develop stable, homogeneous emitter contacts for power heterojunction bipolar transistors. It was found that for both contact systems the best (specific) contact resistance R_c (ρ _c) is about 0.05 Ωmm (2 × 10⁻⁷ Ωcm²) in the as-deposited state. Au/Pt/Ti/WSiN contacts show no degradation after aging at 400°C for more than 20 h. This is in contrast to standard Au/Pt/Ti contacts which significantly degrade even after short time annealing at 400°C. The good long-time stability of the Au/Pt/Ti/WSiN system is related to the advantageous properties of the reactively sputtered WSiN barrier layer.     

Effects of annealing in an oxygen ambient on electrical properties of ohmic contacts to p-type GaN

Effects of annealing ambient of an oxygen and nitrogen mixed gas on the electrical properties were studied for Au-based ohmic contacts (NiAu, CoAu, CuAu, PdAu, and PtAu) to p-type GaN. Addition of oxygen to the nitrogen gas reduced the specific contact resistances (ρ_c) and resitivities of the p-GaN epilayers (ρ_s) of the contacts after annealing at temperatures of 500–600°C. The microstructural analysis at the p-GaN/metal interfaces did not detect the heterostructural intermediate semiconductor layer at the GaN/metal interfaces. The reason for reduction of both the ρc and ρ_s values by the oxygen gas addition was believed to be due to formation of the p-GaN epilayer with high hole concentrations, caused by removal of hydrogen atoms which bonded with Mg atoms.     

Microstructural and electrical investigation of Ni/Au ohmic contact on p-type GaN

Electrical properties of Ni/Au ohmic contacts on p-type GaN were interpreted with the change of microstructure observed under transmission electron microscopy. The contact resistivity was decreased from 1.3×10⁻² to 6.1×10⁻⁴ Ωcm² after annealing at 600°C. The reduction is due to the dissolution of Ga atoms into Au−Ni solid solution formed during annealing, via the generation of Ga vacancies. Thus, net concentration of holes increased below the contact, resulting in the reduction of contact resistivity. At 800°C, N atoms decomposed; reacted with Ni, and forming cubic Ni₄N. Consequently, N vacancies, acting as donors in GaN, were generated below the contact, leading to the increase of contact resistivity to 3.8×10⁻² Ωcm².     

Study of contact resistivity, mechanical integrity, and thermal stability of Ti/Al and Ta/Al ohmic contacts to n-type GaN

The annealing conditions and contact resistivities of Ta/Al ohmic contacts to n-type GaN are reported for the first time. The high temperature stability and mechanical integrity of Ti/Al and Ta/Al contacts have been investigated. Ta/Al (35 nm/115 nm) contacts to n-type GaN became ohmic after annealing for 3 min at 500°C or for 15 s at 600°C. A minimum contact resistivity of 5×10⁻⁶Ω cm² was measured after contacts were repatterned with an Al layer to reduce the effect of a high metal sheet resistance. Ti/Al and Ta/Al contacts encapsulated under vacuum in quartz tubes showed a significant increase in contact resistivity after aging for five days at 600°C. Cross section transmission electron microscopy micrographs and electrical measurements of aged samples indicate that the increased contact resistivity is primarily the result of degradation of the metal layers. Minimal reactions at the metal/GaN interface of aged samples were observed.     

Thermally stable Nb and Nb/Au ohmic contacts to p-GaN

We have investigated Nb single and Nb/Au metallization schemes for the formation of thermally stable ohmic contacts to p-GaN. It is shown that the asdeposited Nb and Nb/Au contacts exhibit rectifying behavior. However, both the contacts produce ohmic characteristics when annealed at 850°C. Measurements show that the 850°C Nb/Au and Nb contacts yield a specific contact resistance of 1.9×10⁻⁸ and 2×10⁻² ωcm², respectively. Schottky barrier heights are found to decrease with increasing annealing temperature. A comparison of the XRD and electrical results shows that the formation of gallide phases such as Ga-Nb and Ga-Au compounds, play a role in forming ohmic contacts. Atomic force microscopy results show that the surface morphology of the Nb contacts is fairly stable up to 850°C, while the Nb/Au contacts are slightly degraded upon annealing at 850°C.     

Ni/Pd-based ohmic contacts to p-GaN through p-InGaN/p+-GaN contacting layers

Specific contact resistance \begin{document}$ {\rho }_{\mathrm{c}} $\end{document} to p-GaN was measured for various structures of Ni/Pd-based metals and thin (20–30 nm thick) p-InGaN/p⁺-GaN contacting layers. The effects of surface chemical treatment and annealing temperature were examined. The optimal annealing temperature was determined to be 550 °C, above which the sheet resistance of the samples degraded considerably, suggesting that undesirable alloying had occurred. Pd-containing metal showed ~35% lower \begin{document}$ {\rho }_{\mathrm{c}} $\end{document} compared to that of single Ni. Very thin (2–3.5 nm thick) p-InGaN contacting layers grown on 20–25 nm thick p⁺-GaN layers exhibited one to two orders of magnitude smaller values of \begin{document}$ {\rho }_{\mathrm{c}} $\end{document} compared to that of p⁺-GaN without p-InGaN. The current density dependence of \begin{document}$ {\rho }_{\mathrm{c}} $\end{document}, which is indicative of nonlinearity in current-voltage relation, was also examined. The lowest \begin{document}$ {\rho }_{\mathrm{c}} $\end{document} achieved through this study was 4.9 × 10^–5 Ω·cm² @ J = 3.4 kA/cm².     

Ohmic contacts to n-type GaN using Pd/Al metallization

Ohmic contacts to n-type GaN grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition were formed using a Pd/Al-based metallization. Ohmic contact resistances and specific contact resistances were investigated as a function of rapid thermal annealing temperature, Pd interlayer thickness, and annealing time. As-deposited Pd/AI was found to produce rectifying contacts while the metallization exhibited ohmic characteristics after annealing at temperatures as low as 400°C. A minimum contact resistance of 0.9 ohm-mm (specific contact resistance = 1.2 × 10⁻⁵ ohm-cm²) was obtained upon annealing at 650°C for 30 s. For comparison, Al and Ti/Al contacts were also investigated. Auger electron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and x-ray diffraction were used to investigate metallurgical reactions.     

Interface annealing characterization of Ti/Al/Au ohmic contacts to p-type 4H-SiC

Ti/Al/Au ohmic contacts to p-type 4H-SiC in terms of a different annealing time and Ti composition are reported. At 1050℃, proper increase in annealing time plays a critical role in the Schottky to ohmic contact conversion. With the optimized annealing time, the contact with a high Ti content yields a lower specific contact resistivity(ρ_c) of 6.4×10^-5 Ω·cm² compared with the low-Ti contact. The annealed surface morphology and phase resultants were examined by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD), respectively. For the better ohmic contact, element distribution and chemical states were qualitatively identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) depth analysis. In particular, the presence of C and a Si-related phase was discussed and associated with the change in the surface status of the as-grown epilayer of 4H-SiC during annealing. The results reveal that the out-diffused C and Si atoms, with an approximate atomic ratio of 1:1 in the contact layer, can combine to form an amorphous Si-C state. The polycrystalline graphite instead of an unreacted C cluster in the whole alloyed structure and an extra nanosize graphite flake on the outermost surface of the annealed contact were confirmed by Raman spectroscopy.     

p型GaN欧姆接触的研究进展

宽带隙的GaN作为半导体领域研究的热点之一,近年来发展得很快.p型GaN的欧姆接触问题一直阻碍高温大功率GaN基器件的研制.本文讨论了金属化方案的选择、表面预处理和合金化处理等几个问题,回顾了近年来p型GaN欧姆接触的研究进展.     

Low resistive ohmic contact formation on surface treated-n-GaN alloyed at low temperature

Ohmic contacts to n-type GaN with low contact resistance were developed by (NH₄)₂S_x and KOH+(NH₄)₂S_x surface treatments prior to Ti/Al metal deposition. The lowest specific contact resistance of 3.0×10⁻⁶ Ω-cm² was obtained for Ti/Al contacts in an (NH₄)₂S_x-treated GaN layer alloyed at 300°C for 3 min. To obtain the lowest specific contact resistance for a low temperature alloy, the (NH₄)₂S_x treatment conditions for both (NH₄)₂S_x and KOH+(NH₄)₂S_x-treated n-GaN layers have been investigated and the mechanism for ohmic formation in low temperature alloys analyzed.     

Mechanism investigation of NiO<Subscript>x</Subscript> in Au/Ni/p-type GaN ohmic contacts annealed in air

Recently, Au/Ni/p-type GaN ohmic contacts annealed in an air ambient have been widely investigated. However, to obtain a low specific-contact resistance, the annealing window is limited. In this study, to understand the oxidation function of metallic Ni, the Au/Ni/p-type GaN structure was annealed in an air ambient for 10 min at various temperatures. Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, the metallic Ni was oxidized into NiO and NiO_1.3 compositions at annealing temperatures of 500°C and 600°C, respectively. However, metallic Ni still existed on the interface of the Ni/p-type GaN annealed at 400°C. The associated barrier heights of 0.42 eV, 0.21 eV, and 0.31 eV were obtained with p-type GaN for the Ni, NiO, and NiO_1.3 contacts, respectively. The hole concentrations of p-type NiO and p-type NiO_1.3 were 2.6×10¹⁶ cm⁻³ and 2.0×10¹⁸ cm⁻³, respectively. The lower hole concentration of the p-type NiO would lead to reducing the valence-band bending of the p-type GaN, as well as the barrier height for holes crossing from the p-type NiO to the p-type GaN. The formation of NiO was thus an important issue for lowering the specific-contact resistance of the Au/Ni/p-type GaN ohmic contacts annealed in an air ambient.     

金属Al与半导体Ge欧姆接触的制备和表征

基于圆形传输线模型,通过测试样品的比接 触电阻率和电流-电压(I-V)特性曲线,分析 对比了Al与Si基上外延生长的p型Ge、n型Ge和n型Si的接触特性。实验结果发现,由于金 属与Ge材料接触存在强烈的费米钉效应,导致金属与n型Ge接触有高的接触电阻,难实 现低的比接触电阻率;而Al与p型Ge在掺杂浓度为4.2×10¹⁸ cm－3时,并且经过退火,比接 触电阻率能达到4.0×10－7 Ω·cm²;Al与n型Ge和n型Si接 触电极相比,后者可形成良好的 欧姆接触,其比接触电阻率较n型Ge接触降低了1个量级,经合金化处理后的Al/n⁺Si接触 电阻率能达到5.21×10－5 Ω·cm²,达到了制作高性能Ge 光电器件的要求。     

GaN紫外探测器的Ti/Al接触的电学特性

在非故意掺杂的和掺Si的GaN薄膜上蒸镀Ti(24nm)/Al(nm)薄膜,氮气环境下400～800℃范围内进行退火。实验结果表明,在非故意掺杂的样品上,随退火温度的升高,肖特基势垒高度下降,理想因子升高,表面状况逐渐变差,600℃退火形成较低接触电阻的欧姆接触,比接触电阻率为3.03×10-4Ωcm2,而载流子浓度为5.88×1018cm-3的掺Si的样品未退火就形成欧姆接触,比接触电阻可达到4.03×10-4Ωcm2。     

Ni/Au与p-GaN的比接触电阻率测量

通过采用环形传输线方法(CILM),电流-电压(I-V)曲线、表面形貌等方法,研究不同的Ni/Au厚度比和空气气氛下合金退火温度对p型氮化镓欧姆接触特性造成的影响。根据Ni/Au与p型氮化镓欧姆接触的形成机制,采用合适的Ni/Au厚度比及退火温度,得到比接触电阻率(ρc)为1.09×10-5Ω.cm2的Ni/Au-p-GaN电极,并分析了Ni在退火过程中对形成良好的欧姆接触中所起到的作用。     

Novel type of ohmic contacts to p-doped GaN using polarization fields in thin InxGa1−xN capping layers

Thin p-doped InGaN layers on p-doped GaN were successfully used to demonstrate a new type of low-resistance ohmic contact. A significant reduction of specific contact resistance can be achieved by increasing the free-hole concentration and the probability for hole tunneling through the Schottky barrier as a consequence of polarization-induced band bending. As obtained from the transmission-line method, the specific contact resistances of Ni (10 nm)/Au (30 nm) contacts deposited on InGaN capping layers were 1.2×10⁻² Ωcm² and 6×10⁻² Ωcm² for capping layer thicknesses of 20 nm and 2 nm, respectively.     

High temperature stability of chromium boride ohmic contacts to p-type 6H-SiC

Ohmic contacts have been fabricated on p-type 6H-SiC using CrB₂. Two hundred nanometer thick films were sputter-deposited on substrates of doping concentration 1.3×10¹⁹ cm⁻³ in a system with a base pressure of 3×10⁻⁷ Torr. Specific contact resistances were measured using the linear transmission line method, and the physical properties of the contacts were examined using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The as-deposited CrB₂ contacts exhibited rectifying characteristics and contained oxygen as a major contaminant. Ohmic behavior with linear current-voltage characteristics was observed following short anneals at 1100°C for 2 min at a pressure of 5×10⁻⁷ Torr. The oxygen in the CrB₂ films was removed by the annealing process, and the lowest value of the specific contact resistance (r_c) measured at room temperature was 8.2×10⁻⁵ Ω-cm². Longer anneals at 1100°C for 3.5 h and 1200°C for 2 h reduced the room temperature values of r to 1.4×10⁻⁵ Ω-cm². A thin reaction region has been identified at the CrB₂/SiC interface; however, the interface remains essentially stable. Thermal stressing at 300°C in vacuum for over 2200 h produced only a slight increase in the specific contact resistance. The low value of the specific contact resistance and the excellent high temperature stability of the CrB₂/SiC interface make this contact a candidate for high power/high temperature SiC device applications.     

p-GaN／Au欧姆接触的研究

本文对p-GaN/Au的接触电阻率进行了研究．用沸腾的王水处理p-GaN表面后,p-GaN/Au可直接形成电阻率为0．045Ω·cm~2的欧姆接触．接触电阻率测试和I-V特性曲线测试表明,在N_2气氛围中退火可影响p-GaN/Au接触电阻率的大小．在700℃温度下退火5min后,接触电阻率最小,其值为0．034Ω·cm~2,而在900℃温度下退火5min后,I-V特性曲线是非线性的。分析表明,在700℃温度下退火后,p-GaN/Au的界面间的反应使接触面增大,而在900℃温度下退火后,p-GaN表面的N会扩散到Au层里在p-GaN表面层产生N空位,这是p-GaN/Au接触电阻率变化的主要原因．     

Transition resistances of ohmic contacts to p-type cdte and their time-dependent variation

Ohmic contacts to p-type CdTe are important for the development of solar cells based on this semiconductor, as for instance CdS/CdTe or ITO/ CdTe solar cells. Ohmic contacts to CdTe Bridgman crystals, doped with phosphorus, have been examined with respect to their resistivity dependence and their variation as a function of time. The ‘specific’ contact resistance r shows a linear dependence on the bulk resistivity; in addition, it is affected by the oxygen content of the CdTe. The lowest r obtained was 0.07Ω cm. With one exception, ali the contacts with nickel, gold and platinum deposited on different crystals show a more or less pronounced increase of r as a function of time.     

Ta/Au ohmic contacts to n-type ZnO

Ta/Au ohmic contacts are fabricated on n-type ZnO (∼1 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³) epilayers, which were grown on R-plane sapphire substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). After growth and metallization, the samples are annealed at 300°C and 500°C for 30 sec in nitrogen ambient. The specific contact resistance is measured to be 3.2×10⁻⁴ Ωcm² for the as-deposited samples. It reduces to 5.4×10⁻⁶ Ωcm² after annealing at 300°C for 30 sec without significant surface morphology degradation. When the sample is annealed at 500°C for 30 sec, the specific contact resistance increases to 3.3 × 10⁻⁵ Ωcm². The layer structures no longer exist due to strong Au and Ta in-diffusion and O out-diffusion. The contact surface becomes rough and textured.