Semi-insulating GaAs-based Schottky contacts in the role of detectors of ionising radiation: An effect of the interface treatment

It is generally agreed that the substrate material quality plays a key role in the performance of back-to-back detectors of ionising radiation based on semi-insulating (SI) material. The aim of this paper is to evaluate usually overlooked problem, namely the influence of the Schottky contact preparation on detector performance. We report on different approaches to modify and control the quality of the metal/SI GaAs interface via a treatment of the SI-GaAs surface by means of low-temperature hydrogen plasma and wet etching. The measured electrical and detecting properties of such structures display a strong dependence on the history and the way the GaAs surface is treated prior to the metal evaporation. We point out, therefore, that the semiconductor surface treatment before the Schottky metallization plays a role of comparable importance to the influence of the SI-GaAs substrate properties on detector performances.