Solid-phase regrowth of compound semiconductors by reaction-driven decomposition of intermediate phases

Abstract

The solid-phase epitaxial regrowth of a III–V compound semiconductor by a two-stage reaction between a two-layer metallization and a compound semiconductor substrate is described. The regrowth process begins with a low-temperature reaction between a metal M (e.g. Ni, Pd, or Pt) and a compound semiconductor substrate, AB, to produce an intermediate M, AB or MB, phase. A subsequent reaction at a higher temperature between an overlayer of Si, Ge, Al, or In and the intermediate phase results in the decomposition of the intermediate phase and the epitaxial regrowth of a layer of the compound semiconductor. This regrowth mechanism is verified experimentally for the specific case of the Si/Ni/GaAs system. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy data show that the ternary phase Nix GaAs, formed during the initial stage of the reaction, decomposes toNiSi and GaAs by reaction with the Si overlayer. The incorporation of the overlayer element into the regrown semiconductor layer is proposed as a mechanism to explain the formation of Ohmic contacts in Si/Pd/n-GaAs, In/Pd/n-GaAs, In/Pt/n-GaAs, and similar two-layer metallization systems on n-GaAs.