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Traps and Defects in AlGaN-GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors on Semi-Insulating SiC Substrates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Yongkun Sin ,
Erica Deionno ,
Brendan Foran  and
Nathan Presser
Yongkun Sin
Affiliation:
yongkun.sin@aero.org, The Aerospace Corporation, Electronics and Photonics Lab., El Segundo, California, United States
Erica Deionno
Affiliation:
erica.deionno@aero.org, The Aerospace Corporation, Electronics and Photonics Lab., El Segundo, California, United States
Brendan Foran
Affiliation:
Brendan.Foran@aero.org, The Aerospace Corporation, Electronics and Photonics Lab., El Segundo, California, United States
Nathan Presser
Affiliation:
nathan.presser@aero.org, The Aerospace Corporation, Electronics and Photonics Lab., El Segundo, California, United States
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Abstract

High electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) based on AlGaN-GaN hetero-structures are promising for high power, high speed, and high temperature operation. Especially, AlGaN-GaN HEMTs grown on semi-insulating (SI) SiC substrates are the most promising for both military and commercial applications. High performance characteristics from these devices are possible in part due to the presence of high two-dimensional electron gas charge sheet density maintaining a high Hall mobility at the AlGaN barrier-GaN buffer hetero-interface and in part due to high thermal conductivity of the SiC substrates. However, long-term reliability of these devices still remains a major concern because of the large number of traps and defects present both in the bulk as well as at the surface leading to undesirable characteristics including current collapse. We report on the study of traps and defects in two MOCVD-grown structures: Al0.27Ga0.73N HEMTs on SI SiC substrates and Al0.27Ga0.73N Schottky diodes on conducting SiC substrates. Our HEMT structures consisting of undoped AlGaN barrier and GaN buffer layers grown on an AlN nucleation layer show a charge sheet density of ∼1013/cm2 and a Hall mobility of ∼1500cm2/V·sec. Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) was employed to study traps in AlGaN Schottky diodes and HEMTs fabricated with different Schottky contacts consisting of Pt/Au and Ni/Au. Focused ion beam was employed to prepare both cross-sectional and plan view TEM samples for defect analysis using a high resolution TEM.

Keywords

devicesdeep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS)transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1202: Symposium I – III-Nitride Materials for Sensing, Energy Conversion and Controlled Light-Matter Interactions , 2009 , 1202-I09-02
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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