Theimddynamically Stable Metal / III-V Compound-Semiconductor Interfaces

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Abstract
Chemical reactions that occur at a metal/III-V compound-semiconductor interface should be minimized if the change in Gibbs free energy of the bulk materials with respect to any possible reaction products is positive. However, the large positive change in entropy caused by vaporization of the highly volatile group V elements is a very important contribution to the Gibbs free energy of these systems, especially at higher temperatures. Thus, a particular metal/III-V compound-semiconductor interface may be thermody-namically stable at one temperature, but unstable with respect to sublimation of elemental group V species at a higher temperature if the enthalpy change for the reaction is positive. Examination of bulk phase diagrams makes it possible to rationalize the reaction products observed and to predict which will be the most stable interface for any particular metal/III-V system.

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