Features of temperature dependence of contact resistivity in ohmic contacts on lappedn-Si

The temperature dependence of contact resistivity rho(c) in lapped silicon specimens with donor concentrations of 5 x 10(16), 3 x 10(17), and 8 x 10(17) cm(-3) was studied experimentally. We found that, after decreasing part of the rho(c)(T) curve in the low temperature range, an increasing part is registered with increasing temperature T. It is demonstrated that the formation of contact to a lapped Si wafer results in the generation of high dislocation density in the near-surface region of the semiconductor and also in ohmic contact behavior. In this case, current flows through the metal shunts associated with dislocations. The theory developed is in good agreement with experimental results. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4752715]