High temperature rectifying contact

US5212401A · kind A · utility

Assignees

• Kobe Steel USA, Inc. · US
• North Carolina State University · US

Inventors

• Trevor P. Humphreys · Raleigh, US
• Robert J. Nemanich · Cary, US
• Kalyankumar Das · Raleigh, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 25, 1991
• Grant date: May 18, 1993
• Expiry date: Jul 25, 2011

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D64/64

Abstract

A rectifying contact for use at high temperatures including a monocrystalline semiconducting diamond layer on a substrate and a heteroepitaxial metal layer thereon. The metal layer has a lattice match with the diamond and is deposited on the diamond substantially in atomic registry therewith. The metal and diamond form a rectifying contact which has good mechanical adhesion and provides stable rectifying operation at elevated temperatures. The metal layer may be formed by deposition in an ultra-high vacuum. In alternate embodiments, the metal layer may be formed on a monocrystalline semiconducting diamond substrate or on at least one monocrystalline diamond area of a textured polycrystalline layer.