Titanium hydride formation in Ti/Pt/Au-gated InP HEMTs

Ti/Pt metal layers are an integral part of the gate stack of many GaAs PHEMTs and InP HEMTs. These devices are known to be affected by H ₂ exposure. In this study, Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) measurements of Ti/Pt bilayers are correlated with electrical measurements of InP HEMTs fabricated with Ti/Pt/Au gates. The FET measurements show that H₂ exposure shifts the device threshold voltage through the piezoelectric effect. AES reveals the formation of titanium hydride (TiH_x) in Ti/Pt bilayers after identical H₂ exposures. These results indicate that the volume expansion associated with TiH_x formation causes compressive stress in Ti/Pt/Au gates, leading to the piezoelectric effect. After a subsequent recovery anneal in N₂, the FET measurements show that V_T recovers. AES measurements confirm that the TiH_x in hydrogenated Ti/Pt bilayers also decreases after further annealing in N₂