TEM Observations of Ti/AlNi/Au Contacts on p-Type 4H-SiC (Preprint)

Abstract

Improved AlNi-based ohmic contacts to p-type 4H-SiC have been achieved using low energy ion (Al+) implantation, the addition of a thin Ti layer, and a novel two-step implant activation anneal process. AlNi/Au contacts with and without Ti were studied, which resulted in contact resistivities around 1.8x10(exp -4) ohms-sq cm and 2.0x10(exp -3) ohms-sq cm, respectively. Even though these values were higher than those of the Ti/AlNi/W system, which was the focus of previous studies, the reduced anneal temperature (650 to 700 deg C) implies that Ti/AlNi/Au is a promising composite configuration. Cross-sectional TEM and EDX were used to investigate the interfacial structure of these contacts. One possible mechanism for the improved ohmic contact behavior is that the addition of Au and Ti resulted in a reduction to the metal-semiconductor barrier height. These results have positive implications for developing lower temperature contact formation processes, which can minimize fabrication induced defects and enhance yield and reliability.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2010
Accession Number
ADA515600

Entities

People

  • Bang-hung Tsao
  • Jacob Lawson
  • James D. Scofield
  • Javier F. Baca

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Composite Materials
  • Compound Semiconductors
  • Data Acquisition
  • Electronics
  • Materials
  • Metal-Semiconductor Junctions
  • Military Research
  • Observation
  • Power Electronics
  • Silicon Carbide
  • Solid State Electronics
  • United States
  • X Rays

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Semiconductor Device Technology
  • Thin Film Deposition Science.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics