Novel p+nn+ GaAs/Al/sub 0.30/Ga/sub 0.70/As/GaAs double heterojunction diode for high-temperature electronic applications

Mesa-isolated, p+nn+, GaAs/Al/sub 0.30/Ga/sub 0.70/ As/GaAs, double heterojunction diodes are reported which have excellent electrical characteristics over the full temperature range from 23 to 400 0C. These devices have diode law ideality factors of approximately 1.1 at any temperature for forward current densities greater than 10-3 A/cm2 and have reverse leakage current densities of 4 x 10-10 A/cm2 at 23 0C and 2 x 10-2 A/cm2 at 400 0C. Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/ As is used only in critical device regions to ensure that GaAs heterojunction contacts are made to the wider band-gap materials and to allow the chemically reactive Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/ As to be encapsulated by GaAs. These results demonstrate that the GaAs/Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/ As chemical system is a good materials candidate in which to base a technology for electronic components operated at high temperatures