The influence of interfacial layers on the nature of gold contacts to silicon and indium phosphide

Abstract

Schottky barrier heights at interfaces between gold and the semiconducting solids silicon and indium phosphide have been measured. Interfacial layers of thin oxide, oxygen or chlorine seem to have little effect on barriers at Au/Si interfaces. For Au/InP, whereas similar barriers are formed on clean or etched surfaces, exposure to small traces of oxygen or chlorine prior to the deposition of gold, leads to ohmic contacts. These results are considered in terms of the chemistry of the free surfaces and the interfaces formed.