The metal-Cdsub(x)Hgsub(1-x) Te contact. Part 1. The ohmic metal n-type Cdsub(x)Hgsub(1-x)Te contacts

Contacts with n type Cdsub(x)Hgsub(1-x)Te for x ranging between 0.20 and 0.25 were produced by vacuum evaporating Ag, Al, Au, In, Pt, Sn and Zn. The voltage-current and voltage-temperature characteristics of these contacts in the temperature range 77-400 K, were determined and their capacity measured. Ohmic contacts for all the tested metals were obtained. The experimental dependence of contact resistance upon the temperature, work function from the metal, and on the concentration in Cdsub(x)Hgsub(1-x)Te were determined. The dependences of height and width of the metal-n type Cdsub(x)Hgsub(1-x)Te contact barrier on the concentration in the semiconductor, and on the difference in work function value in metal and semiconductor were subjected to a theoretical approximate analysis. A comparison of the experimental results with the calculations allows a qualitative explanation of electrical properties of contacts observed in the experiments, and for a suggestion that current flow in the contacts was due to the thermionic-field emission mechanism. (author)