ETRI Journal

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (한국전자통신연구원)
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Microstructure and Electrical Properties of Low Temperature Processed Ohmic Contacts to p-Type GaN

  • Park, Mi-Ran (Basic Research Laboratory, ETRI) ;
  • Song, Young-Joo (Basic Research Laboratory, ETRI) ;
  • Anderson, Wayne A. (Department of Electrical Engineering, State University of New York)
  • Received : 2002.01.23
  • Published : 2002.10.31
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Abstract

With Ni/Au and Pd/Au metal schemes and low temperature processing, we formed low resistance stable Ohmic contacts to p-type GaN. Our investigation was preceded by conventional cleaning, followed by treatment in boiling $HNO_3$:HCl (1:3). Metallization was by thermally evaporating 30 nm Ni/15 nm Au or 25 nm Pd/15 nm Au. After heat treatment in $O_2$ + $N_2$ at various temperatures, the contacts were subsequently cooled in liquid nitrogen. Cryogenic cooling following heat treatment at $600^{\circ}C$ decreased the specific contact resistance from $9.84{\times}10^{-4}$ ${\Omega}cm^2$ to $2.65{\times}10^{-4}$ ${\Omega}cm^2$ for the Ni/Au contacts, while this increased it from $1.80{\times}10^{-4}$ ${\Omega}cm^2$ to $3.34{\times}10^{-4}$ ${\Omega}cm^2$ for the Pd/Au contacts. The Ni/Au contacts showed slightly higher specific contact resistance than the Pd/Au contacts, although they were more stable than the Pd contacts. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling showed the Ni contacts to be NiO followed by Au at the interface for the Ni/Au contacts, whereas the Pd/Au contacts exhibited a Pd:Au solid solution. The contacts quenched in liquid nitrogen following sintering were much more uniform under atomic force microscopy examination and gave a 3 times lower contact resistance with the Ni/Au design. Current-voltage-temperature analysis revealed that conduction was predominantly by thermionic field emission.

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References

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