• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.218-227
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• 2003

Pd/Si/Ti/Pt and Pd/Si/Pd/Ti/Au ohmic contacts to n-type InCaAs were investigated for applications to AlGaAs/GaAs HBT emitter ohmic contacts. In the Pd/Si/Ti/Pt ohmic contact, as-deposited contact showed non-ohmic behavior, and high specific contact resistivity of $5\times10^{-3}\Omega\textrm{cm}^2$ was achieved by rapid thermal annealing at $375^{\circ}C$/10 sec. However, the specific contact resistivity decreased remarkably to $2\times10^{-6}\Omega\textrm{cm}^2$ by annealing at $425^{\circ}C$/10sec. In the Pd/Si/Pd/Ti/Au ohmic contact, minimum specific contact resistivity of $3.9\times10^{-7}\Omega\textrm{cm}^2$ was achieved by annealing at $400^{\circ}C$/20sec. In both ohmic contacts, low contact resistivity and non-spiking planar interface between ohmic materials and InGaAs were maintained. Therefore, these thermally stable ohmic contact systems are promising candidates for compound semiconductor devices. RF performance of the AlGaAs/GaAs HBT was also examined by employing the Pd/Si/Ti/Pt and Pd/Si/Pd/Ti/Au systems as emitter ohmic contacts. Cutoff frequencies were 63.9 ㎓ and 74.4 ㎓, respectively, and maximum oscillation frequencies were 50.1 ㎓ and 52.5 ㎓, respectively. It shows very successful high frequency operations.