Reduction of Contact Resistivity by Nano-Textured Contact

The feasibility of reducing contact resistance by adding nano-textures on the contact surface is evaluated by three-dimensional simulation. Upward and downward pyramids and hemispheres are considered, and the effects of contact area and electric field are discussed. The downward nano-texture has a stronger electric field than the upward nano-texture; thus the increasing contact area will be more effectively used and lead to a greater improvement effect. On the other hand, the electric field of the hemisphere nano-texture is lower than that of the pyramid nano-texture. With proper design, the nano-textured contact can effectively reduce contact resistance up to 30-50%. Therefore, the proposed nano-textured contact is a promising approach with contact resistivity approaching physical limits.