ABSTRACT
The III-V nitrides are receiving tremendous attention for use in optoelectronic devices in the blue and UV wavelengths as well as for high power and high temperature electronics. Critical to the success of these devices, however, are the ohmic contacts, and in some cases Schottky barrier contacts, to these nitride semiconductors. Since 1993, a significant body of literature has become available on contacts to the III-V nitrides, especially GaN. In this chapter we discuss the processing and performance of contacts to GaN, with particular emphasis on the relationship between the metallurgy and the electrical characteristics of the contacts. Numerous studies have also been conducted on contacts to InN, InxGai_xN, and InxAli_xN, although they will not be described here. The interested reader is instead referred to the recent review by Ren [1].
