Temperature-dependent contact resistivity of nonalloyed Pd/Pt/Au contacts to p-GaN films as well as temperature-dependent sheet resistivity of p-GaN films has been investigated in order to understand anomalously low contact resistivity (∼10−4 Ω cm2) considering the large work-function difference between the Pd and p-GaN. As the measured temperature decreases from 300 to 100 K, the contact resistivity increases by more than one order of magnitude. In addition, the sheet resistivity increases linearly with exp(To/T)1/4, implying variable-range hopping conduction via deep-level defects (DLDs). The density of the DLDs in the p-GaN films is estimated to be over 1019 cm−3, which suggests that the carriers may flow from the Pd directly to the dense DLDs, resulting in the anomalously low contact resistivity.

The dependence of contact resistivity on hole concentration has been investigated for nonalloyed Pd contacts to p-GaN. The hole concentration was varied by changing the Mg concentration, [Mg], in p-GaN. The p-GaN having the [Mg] of 4.5×1019 cm−3 showed the hole concentration of 2.2×1017 cm−3, where contact resistivity was measured as 8.9×10−2 Ω cm2. When the [Mg] increased to 1.0×1020 cm−3, the hole concentration was significantly reduced to 2.0×1016 cm−3. Nevertheless, the Pd contacts on the p-GaN displayed contact resistivity as low as 5.5×10−4 Ω cm2. The abnormal dependence of contact resistivity on hole concentration may be explained by predominant current flow at the Pd/p-GaN interface through a deep level defect band, rather than the valence band.