Effects of electrical current and temperature on contamination-induced degradation in ohmic switch contacts

As scaling of silicon-based metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor approaches its limits, the ohmic switch has recently been regarded as a viable alternative or complementary technology. However, the electrical contacts in these devices are prone to contamination from ambient hydrocarbons that reduces signal transmission through the switch. In this work we report how two key parameters, electrical current and temperature, affect contaminant-induced degradation mechanisms. It is shown that passing electrical current through the contacts significantly increases contamination growth but also increases its conductivity. We also demonstrate that increasing the ambient temperature delays and reduces the rate of contamination growth. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.