Microscopic investigation of intimate metal—InxGa1–xAs dot contacts obtained at room and cryogenic temperatures

In this work, we present the microscopic characterisation of intimate Cu contacts formed on (100) In0.53Ga0.47As surfaces. Previous I(V) measurements indicate that Cu–In0.53Ga0.47As (100) dots formed ohmic contacts. In the present study, the metal-semiconductor interface is examined by a variety of techniques, including transmission electron (TEM) and atomic force microscopies (AFM), Auger electron spectrometry (AES) and X-ray microanalysis (EDX). The configuration of the three intimate contacts is discussed in terms of the interfacial reactions resulting from the differing deposition conditions.