CONTROLLING OXYGEN CONCENTRATION LEVELS DURING PROCESSING OF HIGHLY-REFLECTIVE CONTACTS

1 . (canceled)

2 . An optoelectronic semiconductor device having a contact prepared by the method comprising:

depositing a metallic stack on a semiconductor surface of said optoelectronic semiconductor device; and

wherein said metallic stack comprises at least layers of silver and platinum, wherein, in said metallic stack, a silver layer does not contact a platinum layer.

3 . The optoelectronic semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein said metallic stack also comprises one or more layers of at least one of Al, Au, Pd, Ni, Ge, Ti or Ru

4 . The optoelectronic semiconductor device of claim 3 , wherein said metallic stack comprises a metal scheme of Ti—Pt—Au—Pt.

5 . The optoelectronic semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein an interface is defined between said stack and said semiconductor surface and wherein said method further comprises,

introducing a dose of oxygen into said metallic stack; and

diffusing a portion of said oxygen though said metallic stack to said interface.

6 . The optoelectronic semiconductor device of claim 5 , wherein said metallic stack comprises a silver layer in contact with said semiconductor surface.

7 . The optoelectronic semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein said metallic stack comprises an oxygen-gettering metal.

8 . The optoelectronic semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein diffusing comprises annealing the optoelectronic semiconductor device to diffuse an oxygen-gettering metal to said interface.

9 . The optoelectronic semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein said oxygen-gettering metal comprises at least one of Ni, Al, Ti, Mg, or Sc.

10 . The optoelectronic semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein said diffusing comprises diffusing a portion of said oxygen-gettering metal to said interface, and diffusing a portion of said oxygen to said interface.