Patent · US Expired

Method of forming a laser circuit having low penetration ohmic contact providing impurity gettering and the resultant laser circuit

US6555457B1 · kind B1 · utility

9Cited by
21References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 7, 2000
Grant dateApr 29, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 7, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L2924/0002

Abstract

A novel contact structure and method for a multilayer gettering contact metallization is provided utilizing a thin layer of a pure metal as the initial layer formed on a semiconductor cap layer. During formation of the contact structure, this thin metal layer reacts with the cap layer and the resulting reacted layer traps mobile impurities and self-interstitials diffusing within the cap layer and in nearby metal layers, preventing further migration into active areas of the semiconductor device. The contact metallization is formed of pure metal layers compatible with each other and with the underlying semiconductor cap layer such that depth of reaction is minimized and controllable by the thickness of the metal layers applied. Thin semiconductor cap layers, such as InGaAs cap layers less than 200 nm thick, may be used in the present invention with extremely thin pure metal layers of thickness 10 nm or less, thus enabling an increased level of integration for semiconductor optoelectronic devices. In addition, because pure metal layers are used in the ohmic contact, fewer impurities are introduced in the formation of the contact than with prior art alloy contacts.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.