# US 5,351,128 A · Semiconductor device having reduced contact resistance between a channel or base layer and a contact layer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,351,128 A - Document ID: US5351128A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 07/919,676 - Filed: 1992-07-27 - Granted: 1994-09-27 - Earliest claimed: 1991-08-02 - Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd. - Inventors: Shigeo Goto; Hidetoshi Matsumoto; Masamitsu Yazawa; Yasunari Umemoto; Yoko Uchida; Kenji Hiruma - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5351128A ## CPC - H10D 62/85: being Group III-V materials, e.g. GaAs - H10D 62/852: being Group III-V materials comprising three or more elements, e.g. AlGaN or InAsSbP - H10D 64/62: Electrodes ohmically coupled to a semiconductor - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ## Abstract A field-effect transistor or a bipolar transistor may be provided in which the contact resistance between a channel layer or base layer and a contact layer are reduced. For example, an InGaAs buffer layer may be formed on the substrate side of an InGaAs channel layer of a field-effect transistor and by the bypassing effect that carriers pass through this InGaAs buffer layer, the InGaAs channel layer comes in contact with the contact layer with a low resistance. The contact resistance between the InGaAs channel layer and the contact layer can be reduced to 10 ohm per a width of 10.mu.m, and as a result, the value of transconductance factor K of a field-effect transistor can be increased in 14 mA/V.sup.2 per a width of 10.mu.m. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor device comprising: a first n-type semiconductor layer; a second undoped or acceptor impurity doped semiconductor layer formed in contact with one side of said first semiconductor layer; a third undoped or acceptor impurity doped semiconductor layer formed on a side of said second semiconductor layer opposite to said first semiconductor layer; and a fourth n-type semiconductor layer which is a separate body from said first semiconductor layer; wherein said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer are equal in electron affinity, said third semiconductor layer is smaller in electron affinity than said second semiconductor layer, said second semiconductor layer acts as a carrier bypass path forming layer, and said first or second semiconductor layer is in direct contact with said fourth semiconductor layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A semiconductor device according to claim 1, said semiconductor device further comprising a fifth undoped or acceptor impurity doped semiconductor layer formed on a side of said first semiconductor layer opposite to said second semiconductor layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein said fourth semiconductor layer is formed in contact with said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein said first semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said second semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said third semiconductor layer comprises GaAs, said fifth semiconductor layer comprises AlGaAs, said first and second semiconductor layers are formed on a semiconductor layer of which a lattice constant is different from a lattice constant of said first and second semiconductor layers, and a total thickness of said first and second semiconductor layers is not more than a critical thickness of InGaAs to prevent said first and second semiconductor layers from generating dislocations due to the difference in the lattice constants. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the critical thickness is approximately 20 nm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein said first semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said second semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said third semiconductor layer comprises AlGaAs, said fifth semiconductor layer comprises GaAs, said first and second semiconductor layers are formed on a semiconductor layer of which a lattice constant is different from a lattice constant of said first and second semiconductor layers, and a total thickness of said first and second semiconductor layers is not more than a critical thickness of InGaAs to prevent said first and second semiconductor layers from generating dislocations due to the difference in the lattice constants. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein the critical thickness is approximately 20 nm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) A semiconductor device according to claim 3, said semiconductor device further comprising an InP substrate, wherein said first semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said second semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said third semiconductor layer comprises InAlAs, said fifth semiconductor layer comprises InAlAs, and a composition of each of said layers is selected to produce a lattice match with the InP substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein said first semiconductor layer is a channel layer of a field-effect transistor and said fourth semiconductor layer is a source and a drain contact layer comprising InGaAs. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein at the contact part of said first semiconductor layer and said fourth semiconductor layer, a part of the surface of said fourth semiconductor layer is in a surface which is almost the same as one surface of said first semiconductor layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein said first semiconductor layer is a base layer of a bipolar transistor and said fourth semiconductor layer is a base contact layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said fourth semiconductor layer is formed in contact with said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein said first semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said second semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said third semiconductor layer comprises GaAs, said first and second semiconductor layers are formed on a semiconductor layer of which a lattice constant is different from a lattice constant of said first and second semiconductor layers, and a total thickness of said first and second semiconductor layers is not more than a critical thickness of InGaAs to prevent said first and second semiconductor layers from generating dislocations due to the difference in the lattice constants. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the critical thickness is approximately 20 nm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) A semiconductor device according to claim 12, said semiconductor device further comprising an InP substrate, wherein said first semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said second semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said third semiconductor layer comprises InAlAs, and a composition of each of said layers is selected to produce a lattice match with the InP substrate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) A semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein said first semiconductor layer is a channel layer of a field-effect transistor, and said fourth semiconductor layer is a source and a drain contact layer, the part of said fourth semiconductor layer which is in contact with said first and second semiconductor layers comprises InGaAs, and a GaAs layer is laminated on said InGaAs layer. ### Claim 17 A semiconductor device comprising: a first p-type semiconductor layer; a second undoped or donor impurity doped semiconductor layer formed in contact with one side of said first semiconductor layer; a third undoped or donor impurity doped semiconductor layer formed on a side of said second semiconductor layer opposite to said first semiconductor layer; and a fourth p-type semiconductor layer which is a separate body from said first semiconductor layer; wherein said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer are equal in a sum of electron affinity and band gap, said third semiconductor layer is smaller in the sum of electron affinity and band gap than said second semiconductor layer, said second semiconductor layer acts as a carrier bypass path forming layer, and said first or second semiconductor layer is in direct contact with said fourth semiconductor layer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A semiconductor device according to claim 17, said semiconductor device further comprising a fifth undoped or donor impurity doped semiconductor layer formed on a side of said first semiconductor layer opposite to said second semiconductor layer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein said fourth semiconductor layer is formed in contact with said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein said first semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said second semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said third semiconductor layer comprises GaAs, said fifth semiconductor layer comprises AlGaAs, said first and second semiconductor layers are formed on a semiconductor layer of which a lattice constant is different from a lattice constant of said first and second semiconductor layers, and a total thickness of said first and second semiconductor layers is not more than a critical thickness of InGaAs to prevent said first and second semiconductor layers from generating dislocations due to the difference in the lattice constants. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A semiconductor device according to claim 20, wherein the critical thickness is approximately 20 nm. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) A semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein said first semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said second semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs said third semiconductor layer comprises AlGaAs, said fifth semiconductor layer comprises GaAs, said first and second semiconductor layers are formed on a semiconductor layer of which a lattice constant is different from a lattice constant of said first and second semiconductor layers, and a total thickness of said first and second semiconductor layers is not more than a critical thickness of InGaAs to prevent said first and second semiconductor layers from generating dislocations due to the difference in the lattice constants. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A semiconductor device according to claim 22, wherein the critical thickness is approximately 20 nm. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) A semiconductor device according to claim 19, said Semiconductor device further comprising an InP substrate, wherein said first semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said second semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said third semiconductor layer comprises InAlAs, said fifth semiconductor layer comprises InAlAs, and a composition of each of said layers is selected to produce a lattice match with the InP substrate. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) A semiconductor device according to claim 24, wherein said first semiconductor layer is a channel layer of a field-effect transistor and said fourth semiconductor layer is a source and a drain contact layer comprising InGaAs. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) A semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein at the contact part of said first semiconductor layer and said fourth semiconductor layer, a part of the surface of said fourth semiconductor layer is in a surface which is almost the same as one surface of said first semiconductor layer. ### Claim 27 (depends on 19) A semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein said first semiconductor layer is a base layer of a bipolar transistor and said fourth semiconductor layer is a base contact layer. ### Claim 28 (depends on 17) A semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein said fourth semiconductor layer is formed in contact with said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) A semiconductor device according to claim 28, wherein said first semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said second semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said third semiconductor layer comprises GaAs, said first and second semiconductor layers are formed on a semiconductor layer of which a lattice constant is different from a lattice constant of said first and second semiconductor layers, and a total thickness of said first and second semiconductor layers is not more than a critical thickness of InGaAs to prevent said first and second semiconductor layers from generating dislocations due to the difference in the lattice constants. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) A semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein the critical thickness is approximately 20 nm. ### Claim 31 (depends on 28) A semiconductor device according to claim 28, said semiconductor device further comprising an InP substrate, wherein said first semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said second semiconductor layer comprises InGaAs, said third semiconductor layer comprises InAlAs, and a composition of each of said layers is selected to produce a lattice match with the InP substrate. ### Claim 32 (depends on 28) A semiconductor device according to claim 28, wherein said first semiconductor layer is a channel layer of a field-effect transistor, and said fourth semiconductor layer is a source and a drain contact layer, the part of said fourth semiconductor layer which is in contact with said first and second semiconductor layers comprises InGaAs, and a GaAs layer is laminated on said InGaAs layer. ### Claim 33 A semiconductor device comprising: a first n-type InGaAs layer; a second undoped or acceptor impurity doped InGaAs layer formed in contact with one side of said first InGaAs layer; an undoped or acceptor impurity doped GaAs layer formed on a side of said second InGaAs layer opposite to said first InGaAs layer; and an n-type semiconductor layer which is a separate body from said first InGaAs layer; wherein said second InGaAs layer acts as a carrier bypass path forming layer, and said separate n-type semiconductor layer is formed in contact with said first second InGaAs layers. ### Claim 34 A semiconductor device comprising: a first p-type InGaAs layer; a second undoped or donor impurity doped InGaAs layer formed in contact with one side of said first InGaAs layer; an undoped or donor impurity doped GaAs layer formed on aside of said second InGaAs layer opposite to said first InGaAs layer; and and a p-type semiconductor layer which is separate body from said first InGaAs layer; wherein said second InGaAs layer acts as a carrier bypass path forming layer, and said separated p-type semiconductor layer is formed in contact with said first and second InGaAs layers.