Sputtered Ni-P as an ohmic contact to n-lnP, p-lnGaAs and as a diffusion barrier.

Ni(2)P is a metallic conductor with a bulk resistivity of 32 mu omega -cm. Films of Ni(2)P can be sputter-deposited in both the amorphous and crystalline forms by varying the sputtering parameters. The amorphous to crystalline transition has been found to take place at about 250C and sufficient grain growth to exhibit x-ray reflections takes place by 400C. In both forms, films of Ni(2)P have been found to form ohmic contacts to n-lnP and p-lnGaAs with sufficiently low sheet resistivity and specific contact resistance to be useful as a metallization layer in most devices. It was found that up to 300C, amorphous (as sputtered), films of Ni(2)P function as efficient diffusion barriers between an outer Au layer and the III-V substrate. It is possible, therefore, for amorphous (as sputtered) films of Ni(2)P to function simultaneously both as a metallization layer and diffusion barrier.