The Effects of Growth Sequence on the Electronic Properties of Al-Ge-Ni Ohmic Contacts on (001) GaAs

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe growth sequence of Al, Ge, and Ni metals was shown to dramatically affect the amount of heat treatment time required to convert the electrical properties from Schottky to ohmic behavior. Differences in the heat treatment times required to convert from rectifying to ohmic contact were dependent on the doping concentration of the contact layer and on the heat treatment temperature. Interdiffusion of component elements and phase formation have been studied to determine the origin of these effects. Auger depth profiles and X-ray diffraction have been used to determine the interdiffusion and phase formation resulting from various types of thermal processing. Elemental profiles and identification of phases of Ni-Ga, Ni-As, and Ni-Ga-Ge will be used to explain the origin of ohmic behavior.