Electrical and structural properties of a stacked metal layer contact to n-InP

In this study, we found that the double metal contact structure in Pt/Al/n-InP diodes provides better rectification characteristics than conventional single-metal/n-InP Schottky diodes. The effective barrier height was measured to be 0.67 eV for a 400 °C-annealed Pt/Al/n-InP diode sample. The increase in the barrier height is attributed to the formation of Al2O3 at the metal/n-InP contact interface during thermal annealing. The formation of the phase Al2O3 phase was monitored by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The corresponding element profiles of Al and O were also confirmed at the metal/n-InP contact interface using secondary ion mass spectrum (SIMS) analysis. The lowering of the Schottky barrier height due to the inhomogeneity at the metal/n-InP junction is also discussed on the basis of the TE theory. The distribution of local effective Schottky barrier heights was explained by a model incorporating the existence of double Gaussian barrier heights, which represent the high barrier and low barrier of the full distribution in the temperature ranges of 83-198 and 198-300 K.

Research highlights▶ The formation of a Al2O3 layer at the contact interface of the Pt/Al/n-InP diode was observed by XRD and SIMS analyses. ▶ The formation of the Al2O3 interfacial layer improved the Schottky barrier height of the Pt/Al/InP diode. ▶ The distribution of local effective Schottky barrier heights was explained by a model incorporating the existence of double Gaussian barrier heights.