Catalytic role of Au in Ni/Au contact on GaN(0001)

We investigated the structural behavior of the Ni/Au contact on GaN(0001) and found the catalytic role of Au during annealing, using in situ x-ray scattering. The oxidation kinetics of Ni during annealing in air was greatly affected by the presence of Au. The accelerated GaN decomposition and Ni nitride formation during annealing in N2 also provide evidence of the catalytic role of Au. The results suggest that oxidized Ni/Au ohmic contact exhibit better thermal stability than that of the N2 annealed Ni/Au contacts.