Temperature dependence of contact resistance of Au−Ti−Pd2Si−n⁺ -Si ohmic contacts

We investigated temperature dependence of contact resistance of an Au−Ti−Pd₂Si ohmic contact to heavily doped n⁺ -Si. The contact resistance increases with temperature owing to conduction through the metal shunts. In this case, the limiting process is diffusion input of electrons to the metal sh...

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Date:2010
Main Authors: Belyaev, A.E., Boltovets, N.S., Konakova, R.V., Kudryk, Ya.Ya., Sachenko, A.V., Sheremet, V.N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Інститут фізики напівпровідників імені В.Є. Лашкарьова НАН України 2010
Series:Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics
Online Access:https://nasplib.isofts.kiev.ua/handle/123456789/118737
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Cite this:Temperature dependence of contact resistance of Au−Ti−Pd2Si−n⁺ -Si ohmic contacts / A.E. Belyaev, N.S. Boltovets, R.V. Konakova, Ya.Ya. Kudryk, A.V. Sachenko, V.N. Sheremet // Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics. — 2010. — Т. 13, № 4. — С. 436-438. — Бібліогр.: 7 назв. — англ.

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spelling nasplib_isofts_kiev_ua-123456789-1187372025-06-03T16:26:26Z Temperature dependence of contact resistance of Au−Ti−Pd2Si−n⁺ -Si ohmic contacts Belyaev, A.E. Boltovets, N.S. Konakova, R.V. Kudryk, Ya.Ya. Sachenko, A.V. Sheremet, V.N. We investigated temperature dependence of contact resistance of an Au−Ti−Pd₂Si ohmic contact to heavily doped n⁺ -Si. The contact resistance increases with temperature owing to conduction through the metal shunts. In this case, the limiting process is diffusion input of electrons to the metal shunts. The proposed mechanism of contact resistance formation seems to realize also in the case of wide-gap semiconductors with high concentration of surface states and dislocation density in the contact. 2010 Article Temperature dependence of contact resistance of Au−Ti−Pd2Si−n⁺ -Si ohmic contacts / A.E. Belyaev, N.S. Boltovets, R.V. Konakova, Ya.Ya. Kudryk, A.V. Sachenko, V.N. Sheremet // Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics. — 2010. — Т. 13, № 4. — С. 436-438. — Бібліогр.: 7 назв. — англ. 1560-8034 PACS 73.40.Cg, 73.40.Ns, 85.30.-z https://nasplib.isofts.kiev.ua/handle/123456789/118737 en Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics application/pdf Інститут фізики напівпровідників імені В.Є. Лашкарьова НАН України
institution Digital Library of Periodicals of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
collection DSpace DC
language English
description We investigated temperature dependence of contact resistance of an Au−Ti−Pd₂Si ohmic contact to heavily doped n⁺ -Si. The contact resistance increases with temperature owing to conduction through the metal shunts. In this case, the limiting process is diffusion input of electrons to the metal shunts. The proposed mechanism of contact resistance formation seems to realize also in the case of wide-gap semiconductors with high concentration of surface states and dislocation density in the contact.
format Article
author Belyaev, A.E.
Boltovets, N.S.
Konakova, R.V.
Kudryk, Ya.Ya.
Sachenko, A.V.
Sheremet, V.N.
spellingShingle Belyaev, A.E.
Boltovets, N.S.
Konakova, R.V.
Kudryk, Ya.Ya.
Sachenko, A.V.
Sheremet, V.N.
Temperature dependence of contact resistance of Au−Ti−Pd2Si−n⁺ -Si ohmic contacts
Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics
author_facet Belyaev, A.E.
Boltovets, N.S.
Konakova, R.V.
Kudryk, Ya.Ya.
Sachenko, A.V.
Sheremet, V.N.
author_sort Belyaev, A.E.
title Temperature dependence of contact resistance of Au−Ti−Pd2Si−n⁺ -Si ohmic contacts
title_short Temperature dependence of contact resistance of Au−Ti−Pd2Si−n⁺ -Si ohmic contacts
title_full Temperature dependence of contact resistance of Au−Ti−Pd2Si−n⁺ -Si ohmic contacts
title_fullStr Temperature dependence of contact resistance of Au−Ti−Pd2Si−n⁺ -Si ohmic contacts
title_full_unstemmed Temperature dependence of contact resistance of Au−Ti−Pd2Si−n⁺ -Si ohmic contacts
title_sort temperature dependence of contact resistance of au−ti−pd2si−n⁺ -si ohmic contacts
publisher Інститут фізики напівпровідників імені В.Є. Лашкарьова НАН України
publishDate 2010
url https://nasplib.isofts.kiev.ua/handle/123456789/118737
citation_txt Temperature dependence of contact resistance of Au−Ti−Pd2Si−n⁺ -Si ohmic contacts / A.E. Belyaev, N.S. Boltovets, R.V. Konakova, Ya.Ya. Kudryk, A.V. Sachenko, V.N. Sheremet // Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics. — 2010. — Т. 13, № 4. — С. 436-438. — Бібліогр.: 7 назв. — англ.
series Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics
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AT boltovetsns temperaturedependenceofcontactresistanceofautipd2sinsiohmiccontacts
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fulltext Semiconductor Physics, Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics, 2010. V. 13, N 4. P. 436-438. PACS 73.40.Cg, 73.40.Ns, 85.30.-z Temperature dependence of contact resistance of Au−Ti−Pd2Si−n+-Si ohmic contacts A.E. Belyaev1, N.S. Boltovets2, R.V. Konakova1, Ya.Ya. Kudryk1, A.V. Sachenko1, V.N. Sheremet 1V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, NAS of Ukraine 41, prospect Nauky, 03028 Kyiv, Ukraine Phone: (380-44) 525-61-82; fax: (380-44) 525-83-42; e-mail: konakova@isp.kiev.ua 2State Enterprise Research Institute “Orion”, 8a Eugene Pottier St., Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine Abstract. We investigated temperature dependence of contact resistance of an Au−Ti−Pd2Si ohmic contact to heavily doped n+-Si. The contact resistance increases with temperature owing to conduction through the metal shunts. In this case, the limiting process is diffusion input of electrons to the metal shunts. The proposed mechanism of contact resistance formation seems to realize also in the case of wide-gap semiconductors with high concentration of surface states and dislocation density in the contact. Keywords: wide-gap semiconductor, ohmic contact, contact resistance. Manuscript received 01.11.10; accepted for publication 02.12.10; published online 30.12.10. 1. Introduction In the last few years, some reports have appeared on anomalous temperature dependence of contact resistance Rc (growth with temperature) of ohmic contacts to semiconductors with high dislocation density [1-3]. It should be noted that such behavior of Rc (T) curves cannot be explained by the classical mechanisms of current transport (thermionic, thermal-field, tunnel) in the Schottky contacts. The authors of the above papers related the obtained Rc (T) dependences to conduction through the metal shunts linked to dislocations. In the present work, we describe growing with temperature dependences of contact resistance (measured in the 80−380 K temperature range) that take place in ohmic contacts to heavily doped silicon. To explain them, we also apply the mechanism of current transport through metal shunts. It is supposed that the limiting process is the mechanism of diffusion input of electrons to those metal shunts. The theoretical estimations showed that, in the case of heavily doped semiconductor material, such a limitation is possible only if accumulation band bending is realized in the semiconductor near the metal shunt ends. Such a situation seems rather realistic if one takes into account both the edge effect (leading to big increase of the electric field strength) and mirror image forces. In our case, not only a big decrease of barrier height near the shunt edge occurs but the band bending changes its sign as well. SiPdTiAu 2−− We calculated contact resistance, with current limiting mechanism of diffusion input of electrons, by assuming that a rather high barrier is realized in the regions far from dislocations, so that it is possible to neglect current transport through the above regions. In that case, the contact resistance Rc can be determined from the derivative of the current through all dislocations. The density of the thermionic current Jnc flowing through the contact at the site of dislocation outlet can be determined by solving the continuity equation for electrons. With allowance made for the diffusion limitation, the contact resistance related to a single dislocation, Rc0, is (in the case of a nondegenerate semiconductor) 0 0 4 4 1 0 c D c y d T L y n T c eNqV e D V q kTR ⎟⎟ ⎠ ⎞ ⎜⎜ ⎝ ⎛ + = α . (1) Here k is the Boltzmann constant, Т temperature, q electron charge, VT mean thermal velocity of electrons, Dn electron diffusion coefficient, yc0 dimensionless equilibrium band bending at the site of dislocation outlet, α numerical coefficient (of the order of unity), LD Debye shielding length, and Nd donor concentration in the semiconductor. If the semiconductor is degenerate and the current limitation due to the diffusion input takes place, one can © 2010, V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 436 Semiconductor Physics, Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics, 2010. V. 13, N 4. P. 436-438. 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 0 2 4 6 © 2010, V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 8 10 12 ρ c, ·1 0-6 ·c m 2 T,K 1 2 Ω also use Eq. (1). In that case, however, the following relation between the diffusion coefficient Dn and electron mobility μn has to be used: also use Eq. (1). In that case, however, the following relation between the diffusion coefficient Dn and electron mobility μn has to be used: 1 )(ln − ⎟⎟ ⎠ ⎞ ⎜⎜ ⎝ ⎛ μ= zd nd q kTD nn . (2) Here is the dimensionless Fermi energy, and n is the electron concentration in the semiconductor bulk: kTEz f /= ( )∫ ∞ −+ ⎟ ⎠ ⎞ ⎜ ⎝ ⎛ π = 0 5.1 exp1300 2 dx zx xTNn c , (3) where Nc is the effective density of states in the conduction band at Т = 300 K. The area from which the current flowing through a single dislocation is collected equals , where 2 DLπ Fig. 1. The temperature dependences of contact resistivity ρc for Au−Ti−Pd2Si−n+-Si ohmic contact (filled squares – experiment, curves – theory). Curve 1 (2) is plotted for Nd = 1019 cm-3 (3×1019 cm-3). The values of parameters used in calculation: VT = 107 cm/s; curve 1: yc0 = 2.7; ND1 = 2.8×109 cm-2; curve 2: yc0 = 1.5; ND1 = 5×109 cm-2. ( ) 2/1' 2/1 5.0 2 0 )( 2 − Φ⎟ ⎟ ⎠ ⎞ ⎜ ⎜ ⎝ ⎛ εε = z Nq Tk L c s D (4) is the Debye shielding length at an arbitrary degree of semiconductor degeneracy, vacuum (semiconductor) permittivity, and ( )sεε 0 ( ) ( )( )∫ ∞ −+ − π =Φ 0 2 ' 2/1 exp1 exp2)( dx zx zxxz . (5) The contact resistance for a contact of unit area determined by the mechanism of diffusion input is 1 2 0 diff DD c NL R R π = , (6) where Nd1 is the density of dislocations that take part in current transport. In general, Nd1 is not equal to the density of dislocations that take part in electron scattering, Nd2. The current transport is related to the dislocations that are normal to the contact plane, while scattering occurs at those dislocations that are oriented at an angle to the contact plane. The quantity (S is the contact area) has a meaning of the total area from which the current flowing through all dislocations is collected. As a rule, the value of is much less than unity, even at maximal dislocation densities (about ), except the case of weakly doped semiconductors ( ). SNL DD 1 2π 1 2 DD NLπ 21110 cm1010 −− 315 cm10 −≤dN The electron diffusion coefficient Dn was determined with fitting procedure using Eqs. (2) and (3), while the temperature dependence of electron mobility μn, when comparing the calculated and experimental dependences, was taken from [4] for the doping level of . The rated resistivity ρ319 cm108.2 −× Si of silicon samples used to make ohmic contacts was 0.002 Ω⋅cm. Taking into account its standard spread and the fact that predominant scattering at Т = 300 K is that on the charged impurities (as a result, the dependence of ρSi on the doping level is very weak), one can determine the limits for variation of donor concentration in the samples studied: ( ) 31919 cm10310 −×− . So we used both limiting values for donor concentration when plotting Fig. 1. Shown in Fig. 1 are the experimental temperature dependence of contact resistivity for Au−Ti−Pd2Si−n+-Si ohmic contact с ρSi = 0.002 Ω⋅cm and ρc (T) curves calculated for two donor concentrations: and . The contact metallization was made using layer-by-layer vacuum thermal sputtering of metals onto an n 319 cm10 − 319 cm103 −× +-silicon substrate heated up to 330 °C. The ohmic contact was formed by the Pd2Si phase that appeared in a thin near-surface layer of in the course of palladium sputtering. Because of misfit of Pd Si−+n 2Si and Si lattices and coefficients of thermal expansion, high density of structural defects (in particular, dislocations) is formed in the near-surface layer of [5-7]. According to [1-3], metal shunts (that short-circuit the space charge region) may form at the above defects. One should note very good agreement between the theory and experiment. It was obtained by using the general Eqs. (2)–(5) that take into account degeneracy of semiconductor. Si−+n The mechanism of contact resistance formation proposed in the present work for metal−semiconductor contacts has to realize, first of all, in the case of wide- gap semiconductors with high concentration of surface states in the contact. It looks rather paradoxical because current is transported through the regions accumulating electrons rather than the depletion regions. At the same time, the practically ideal agreement between the 437 Semiconductor Physics, Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics, 2010. V. 13, N 4. P. 436-438. calculated and experimental temperature dependences of contact resistivity is indicative of the validity of the above mechanism. One should note that, in the model proposed in [1-3], the temperature dependence of contact resistance was strictly linear. References 1. T.V. Blank, Yu.A. Gol’dberg, O.V. Konstantinov, V.G. Nikitin, E.A. Posse, Peculiarities in the mechanism of current flow through an ohmic contact to gallium phosphide // Technical Physics Letters 30(19), p. 806-809 (2004). 2. T.V. Blank, Yu.A. Gol’dberg, Mechanisms of current flow in metal-semiconductor ohmic contacts // Semiconductors 41(11), p. 1263-1292 (2007). 3. V.N. Bessolov, T.V. Blank, Yu.A. Gol’dberg, O.V. Konstantinov, E.A. Posse, Dependence of the mechanism of current flow in the in n-GaN alloyed ohmic contact on the majority carrier concentration // Semiconductors 42(11), p. 1315-1317 (2008). 4. V.I. Fistul’, Heavily Doped Semiconductors. Nauka, Moscow (1967), in Russian. 5. A.E. Gershinsky, A.V. Rzhanov, E.I. Cherepov, Thin-film silicides in microelectronics // Mikro- elektronika 11(2), p. 83-94 (1982), in Russian. 6. P.E. Schmid, P.S. Ho, H. Foll, G.W. Rubloff, Electronic states and atomic structures at the Pd2Si−Si interface // J. Vac. Sci. Technol. 18(3), p. 937-943 (1981). 7. V.M. Ievlev, S.B. Kushev, A.V. Bugakov, S.A. Soldatenko, B.N. Markushev, I.G. Rudneva, Conjugation regularities and substructure of interphase boundaries in the Si−Me silicide systems (Me: Pt, Pd, Ni, Re, Ir, Mo, Ti) // Proc. ISFTE-12, Kharkov, Ukraine, 2002, p. 201-206. © 2010, V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 438