Method of making a non-alloyed ohmic contact to III-V semiconductors-on-silicon

Abstract

Abstract This invention concerns with a non-alloyed ohmic contact to III-V semiconductor material in a III-V semiconductor device on a Si base. The ohmic contact includes at least one set of layers comprising a delta-doped monolayer and a thin layer of undoped III-V semiconductor material which is 2.5 nm or less in thickness, said at least one set of layers being upon a doped III-V semiconductor layer. An epitaxial layer of metal upon an uppermost of the layers of the said set of layers completes the ohmic contact, said metal being capable of wetting the surface of the III-V semiconductor material and of being epitaxially grown on the said III-V semiconductor material. At least the said at least one set of layers and the metal layer are deposited by Molecular Beam Epitaxy, thus avoiding formation of oxides and growing the metal epitaxially so that the metal layer is crystalline at least near the interface between the metal and the semiconductor material. The epitaxial deposition of the metal is conducted at a relatively low temperature of the semiconductor material. In an illustrative embodiment the metal is Al capable of being epitaxially deposited at a temperature within a range of from 10° C. to 100° C., preferably to a temperature ranging from 20° C. to 50° C., with 25° C. being most preferable. The resultant contacts exhibit specific resistance which is lower and higher current passing capabilities which are higher than those of prior art non-alloyed ohmic contacts. However, the most noteworthy advantage of using Al in an integrated opto-electronic circuit comprising a III-V semiconductor device on a Si base, is the avoidance of "purple plague". The "purple plague" may arise when gold-based contacts in III-V semiconductor devices and Al-based contacts in Si-devices being used in an integrated circuit come in contact, especially at higher, e.g. 300° C., temperatures.

Inventors

• 👤 Tien-Heng Chiu
• 👤 John E. Cunningham
• 👤 Keith W. Goossen

Bibliographic Details