Metallurgical study of Ni/GaSb (111) and (001) contacts: Comparison with the Ni/GaAs and Ni/AlAs systems

Solid‐state interdiffusions at the Ni/GaSb(111) and (001) interfaces were investigated in the temperature range 200–600 °C using 1.8 MeV He+ ion backscattering and channeling and also using x‐ray diffraction. The starting point was the experimental determination of the Ni‐Ga‐Sb phase diagram. The steps of the interaction were the same for GaSb(111) and GaSb(001). Three various phases were observed: the ternary A phase with the Ni2.5GaSb atomic composition, Ni2Ga3, and Ni2Ga0.25Sb1.75, the Ga‐rich limit of the substituted NiSb binary compound. All these phases had a hexagonal pseudocubic structure. First, an epitaxial Ni2.5GaSb A phase reacted layer was obtained. This phase was not in thermodynamical equilibrium with GaSb and the final product was a mixture of Ni2Ga3 and Ni2Ga0.25Sb1.75 grains with an average atomic composition equal to Ni1.6GaSb. The metallurgical behavior of the Ni/GaSb contacts was compared to that of the Ni/GaAs and Ni/AlAs contacts. It was concluded that the experimental ternary diagr...