Microstructure of Ti/Al ohmic contacts for n-AlGaN

Transmission electron microscopy was employed to evaluate the microstructure of Al/Ti ohmic contacts to AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistor structures. Contact resistance was found to depend on the structure and composition of the metal and AlGaN layers, and on atomic structure of the interface. A 15–25-nm-thick interfacial AlTi2N layer was observed at the contact-AlGaN interface. Formation of such nitrogen-containing layers appears to be essential for ohmic behavior on n-type III-nitride materials suggesting a tunneling contact mechanism. Contact resistivity was found to increase with Al fraction in the AlGaN layer.