Improving metal/semiconductor conductivity using AlO{sub x} interlayers on n-type and p-type Si
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE17RU (United Kingdom)
Thermal atomic layer deposition was used to form ultra-thin interlayers in metal/interlayer/ semiconductor Ohmic contacts on n-type and p-type Si. AlO{sub x} of thickness 1–2 nm was deposited at 120 °C on Si substrates prior to metallization, forming Ni/AlO{sub x}/Si contacts. Conductivity improved by two orders of magnitude but the contacts remained rectifying. When they were annealed at 200 °C, the conductivity increased by another order of magnitude and the samples became Ohmic. A minimum specific contact resistivity of 1.5 × 10{sup −4} Ω-cm{sup 2} was obtained for structures based on lightly doped (10{sup 15 }cm{sup −3}) Si substrates. Existing models that describe Fermi level de-pinning do not fully explain our results, which are however consistent with other experimental data in the literature.
- OSTI ID:
- 22314675
- Journal Information:
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 5; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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