Features of the temperature dependence of the specific contact resistance of Au–Ti–Pd–$n^{+}$–$n$-Si diffusion silicon structures

The temperature dependences of the specific contact resistance of silicon $\rho_ c$ with a doping step are measured experimentally and described theoretically. The measurements are performed in the temperature range from 4.2 to 380 K. It is established that the contacts of the studied Au–Ti–Pd–$n^{+}$–$n$-Si structures are ohmic. It is shown that minimal $\rho_ c$ is implemented at $T$ = 75 K. Its value rises both with a decrease in temperature (due to the freezing effect) and with an increase in temperature (due to the electron-enriched layer at the boundary with the bulk material). It is established that the bulk electron concentration strongly decreases in the near-contact region in a layer with a thickness on the order of one micron due to the compensation of silicon by deep acceptors appearing because of the formation of a rather high vacancy concentration during stress relaxation and the appearance of a high dislocation density, as well as due to their diffusion from the contact after heating to 450$^{\circ}$C. The data on the occurrence of vacancy-type defects are confirmed by X-ray measurements. The dislocation density in the studied structures is also estimated from X-ray measurements.