Structural properties and interfacial layer formation of Pd films grown on InP substrates

Pd layers were grown on p-InP (100) substrates by the ion-beam-assisted deposition method with the goal of producing sharp Pd/p-InP heterostructure interfaces. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the grown Pd layer was polycrystalline. Auger electron spectroscopy measurements showed that the composition of the as-grown film was Pd and that the Pd/InP interface quality was relatively good. Transmission electron microscopy measurements showed that the grown Pd was a polycrystalline layer. The growth of polycrystalline Pd layers, instead of epitaxial films, originated from the formation of an interfacial amorphous layer prior to the creation of the Pd films. These results indicate that the Pd layers grown on p-InP (100) can be used for stable contacts in optoelectronic devices and high-speed field-effect transistors based on InP substrates and that the deposition of Pd on InP at room temperature might increase the barrier height of the resulting Pd/InP Schottky diode. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.