GaAs/langmuir-blodgett film mis devices

Abstract

Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films have previously been used as organic insulating layers in compound semiconductor metal-insulator- semiconductor devices, with promising preliminary results. This thesis describes the first investigation of the use of LB films In gallium arsenide metal-insulator-semiconductor devices. Diodes incorporating thin layers of w-tricosenoic acid or substituted copper phthalocyanine possessed 'leaky' electrical characteristics, I.e. there is some conduction through the LB film. This 'leaky' behaviour was exploited to produce the first metal- Insulator-semiconductor-switch (MISS) incorporating an LB film. MISS devices on n-p(^+) GaAs were produced with good switching characteristics and a high yield (~90%), using LB film thicknesses between 9 and 33 nm. It was shown that the 'punch through' mechanism was responsible for the switching behaviour. p-n(^+) GaAs/LB film MISS diodes behaved rather differently, with good switching characteristics only found at reduced temperature. Some degradation of the characteristics of LB film MISS devices was noted, although this was reduced by using the more robust phthalocyanlne LB films. Metal-tunnel-insulator-semiconductor diodes were produced on the ternary alloy Ga(_.47)In(_.53)As, using LB film monolayers. The barrier height was apparently larger than that of Schottky barriers on this material, with a very substantial reduction in current density due to tunnelling through the LB film. Using this technique it may be possible to produce very high performance GaInAs fleld-effect-transistors, which are analogous to GaAs metal-semiconductor field effect transistors.