Electric Properties of GaAs PCSSs with Ni/Ge/Au/Ni/Au Electrodes under Different Annealing Conditions

The fabricating process of photoconductive semiconductor switch (PCSS) directly influences the electric properties. In order to determine appropriate process parameters for rapid thermal annealing (RTA) for GaAs PCSSs with
$\text{Ni}/\text{Ge}/\text{Au}/\text{Ni}/\text{Au}$
electrodes, a test route is designed, and the tests about contact properties of Metal/SI-GaAs, off-state and on-state characteristics of the PCSSs were performed, separately. The results show that the PCSS with a higher hold-off voltage and a lower on-state resistance can be obtained by RTA at 400
${}^{\circ} \mathbf{C}$
, compared to other temperatures. Meanwhile, the results also indicate that the test route is effective and comprehensive for determining the final process parameter directly.