AN ELECTRICAL METHOD TO CHARACTERIZE THERMAL-REACTIONS OF PD GAAS ANDNI/GAAS CONTACTS/

Capacitance-voltage (C-V) and current-voltage (I-V) measurements were used to study the thermal reaction of Pd/GaAs contacts and Ni/GaAs con tacts. The thickness of GaAs consumed by the metal/GaAs reaction durin g annealing was calculated from C-V analyses and I-V analyses. For ann ealing temperatures below 350 degrees C, the Schottky characteristics of the diodes were good but the electrical junction moves into the GaA s after annealing. The amount of junction movement was calculated dire ctly from our measurements. The diffusion coefficients of Pd and Ni in GaAs at 300 degrees C were estimated both to be around 1.2 x 10(-14) cm(2)/s.