Alloying of Ni/In/Ni/ n -GaAs ohmic contacts induced by Ga-Ni-As ternary eutectic reactions
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (USA)
The alloying behavior of Ni and Ni/In/Ni thin-film contacts to GaAs was studied using scanning electron microscopy and scanning Auger microscopy. A liquid was observed to form in both contacts upon annealing at 820 {degree}C for three min. The cause of this behavior was postulated to be the presence of a ternary eutectic reaction in the gallium-nickel-arsenic system. Differential thermal analysis confirmed the existence in this system of the reaction L{r arrow}NiGa+NiAs+GaAs at 810 {degree}C. It was speculated that the liquid phase observed in the Ni/In/Ni contacts was due to the rapid segregation of indium metal to the contact surface and the subsequent melting of the nearly ternary interfacial region. These results demonstrated the inadequacy of rationalizing reactions between metals and compound semiconductors in terms of constituent binary phase equilibria.
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG06-86ER45275
- OSTI ID:
- 6017310
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics; (USA), Vol. 68:12; ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
JOINTS
METALLURGICAL EFFECTS
INDIUM ALLOYS
PHASE STUDIES
NICKEL ALLOYS
ANNEALING
AUGER ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DIFFERENTIAL THERMAL ANALYSIS
FILMS
N-TYPE CONDUCTORS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SEGREGATION
ALLOYS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
HEAT TREATMENTS
MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
PNICTIDES
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SPECTROSCOPY
THERMAL ANALYSIS
360104* - Metals & Alloys- Physical Properties