Reduction of Ohmic Contact Resistance of Solid Phase Regrowth Contacts to n-InGaAs Using a Sulfur Pretreatment

Abstract

We report an Ohmic contact to lightly doped (5×10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">17</sup> cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-3</sup> ) n-In <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0.53</sub> Ga <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0.47</sub> As with a specific contact resistance of ρ <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">c</sub> =2.6×10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-8</sup> ±1.7×10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-8</sup> Ω-cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> , rivaling the lowest reported values on n-In <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0.53</sub> Ga <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0.47</sub> As with significantly higher original dopant concentrations than the epilayer used in this letter. This reduction of ρc was achieved using the combination of a Pd/Si-based solid phase regrowth (SPR) contact with an ammonium sulfide surface treatment before contact deposition. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed that the SPR mechanism still occurred when the ammonium sulfide treatment was used. Both the SPR and sulfide-treated SPR cases reduced ρ <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">c</sub> versus a Pd/Ti/Au contact. For comparison, a sulfide-treated Pd/Ti/Au contact that does not undergo SPR was fabricated, and it did not have a lower ρ <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">c</sub> compared with the same contact without the sulfide treatment. This discrepancy indicates that SPR is essential for benefiting from the sulfide treatment.