Electrodeposition of Ni/SiC contacts

Abstract

We report on the fabrication and characterization of n-type 4H–SiC/Ni contacts formed by electrodeposition from nickel sulfate solutions. We show that the nickel ion states overlap the conduction band of n-type 4H–SiC so that electrodeposition occurs by electron injection from the conduction band into the nickel ion acceptor states. Nickel deposition on n-type 4H–SiC is characterized by nucleation followed by diffusion-limited growth of three-dimensional clusters. As-deposited n-type 4H–SiC/Ni contacts are rectifying with ideality factors of 1.5–2. After annealing, the contacts are Ohmic due to the formation of Ni2Si.