Photocathodic deposition of gold alloys for Ohmic contacts to III–V materials

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Abstract
Gold–zinc and gold–cadmium alloy layers, suitable for Ohmic contact formation, have been deposited photoelectrochemically on p-type III–V materials. It is shown that, while the nucleation of the plating process is greatly facilitated by illumination of the electrode, further growth of the alloy can proceed in the dark. Impedance measurements were used to investigate the influence of metal deposition on the potential distribution at the electrode interface. Contact properties of annealed gold–zinc layers on GaAs and InP are given. Auger electron spectroscopy measurements were used to study the surface chemistry during annealing. By choosing conditions to ensure maximum selectivity between illuminated and nonilluminated areas of the electrode, it is possible to write directly patterns of a desired composition and thickness using either a focused laser beam or mask projection.

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