B. Moran

AlN/GaN and (Al,Ga)N/AlN/GaN two-dimensional electron gas structures grown by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy

We report on an extensive study of the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) structures containing AlN layers. It is shown that the presence of large polarization fields in the AlN barrier layer in AlN/GaN heterostructures results in high values of the 2DEG sheet density of up to 3.6×1013 cm−2. Room-temperature sheet resistance of 180 Ω/□ is demonstrated in the AlN/GaN structure with a 35 A AlN barrier. As a result of reduced alloy disorder scattering, low-temperature electron mobility is significantly enhanced in AlN/GaN heterostructures in comparison to AlGaN/GaN structures with similar values of the 2DEG sheet density. The growth of GaN cap layers on top of AlN/GaN structures with relatively thick (∼35 A) AlN barriers is found to lead to a significant decrease in the 2DEG sheet density. However, inserting a thin (∼10 A) AlN layer between AlxGa1−xN and GaN in the AlxGa1−xN/GaN (x∼0.2–0.45) 2DEG structures does not affect the 2DEG sheet density and results in an increase of the low-temperature electron mob...

Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of GaN on Si(111): Stress control and application to field-effect transistors

Two schemes of nucleation and growth of gallium nitride on Si(111) substrates are investigated and the structural and electrical properties of the resulting films are reported. Gallium nitride films grown using a 10–500 nm-thick AlN buffer layer deposited at high temperature (∼1050 °C) are found to be under 260–530 MPa of tensile stress and exhibit cracking, the origin of which is discussed. The threading dislocation density in these films increases with increasing AlN thickness, covering a range of 1.1 to >5.8×109 cm−2. Films grown using a thick, AlN-to-GaN graded buffer layer are found to be under compressive stress and are completely crack free. Heterojunction field effect transistors fabricated on such films result in well-defined saturation and pinch-off behavior with a saturated current of ∼525 mA/mm and a transconductance of ∼100 mS/mm in dc operation.

Impact of carbon on trap states in n-type GaN grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

The effect of excess C incorporation on the deep level spectrum of n-type GaN grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition was investigated. Low-pressure (LP) growth conditions were used to intentionally incorporate excess C compared to atmospheric pressure (AP) growth conditions. GaN samples with high C content are found to be highly resistive, and samples codoped with C and Si are heavily compensated. From a comparison of deep level optical spectroscopy and deep level transient spectroscopy measurements of the LP-grown codoped GaN:C:Si sample with the AP-grown unintentionally doped GaN, two deep levels at Ec−Et=1.35 and 3.28 eV are observed to have a direct relation to excess C incorporation. Comparing these activation energies to previous theoretical studies strongly suggests that the levels may be associated with a C interstitial and CN defect, respectively. These results suggest that C forms not only a shallow acceptor level but also a deep acceptor level in GaN, and these levels contribute to the...

Photonic crystal laser lift-off GaN light-emitting diodes

We report on the fabrication and study of laser lift-off GaN-based light-emitting diodes, thinned down to the microcavity regime, incorporating two-dimensional photonic crystal diffraction gratings. Angle-resolved measurements reveal the photonic behavior of the devices, which strongly depends on the GaN thickness. Data point out the detrimental role of metal absorption. We explore theoretically the possibility to limit this loss channel.

High-quality coalescence of laterally overgrown GaN stripes on GaN/sapphire seed layers

We have characterized GaN stripes grown by lateral epitaxial overgrowth on large-area (2 in.) SiO2/GaN/Al2O3 wafers by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition before and after coalescence. Using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscope (AFM), it is shown that by first obtaining “wings” (laterally overgrown material) with low tilt relative to the “seed” (underlying) GaN, very few extended defects are formed when wings from neighboring stripes coalesce. After wings with a tilt of ∼0.1° are coalesced and an additional ∼10 μm of GaN is grown, it is found with XRD that peak splitting due to tilt is no longer detectable. TEM and AFM results show that few dislocations (with a linear density <4×103 cm−1) are formed at coalescence fronts.

Effect of threading dislocation density on Ni/n-GaN Schottky diode I-V characteristics

The impact of threading dislocation density on Ni∕n-GaN Schottky barrier diode characteristics is investigated using forward biased current-voltage-temperature (I-V-T) and internal photoemission (IPE) measurements. Nominally, identical metal-organic chemical vapor deposition grown GaN layers were grown on two types of GaN templates on sapphire substrates to controllably vary threading dislocation density (TDD) from 3×107to7×108cm−2. I-V-T measurements revealed thermionic emission to be the dominant transport mechanism with ideality factors near 1.01 at room temperature for both sample types. The Schottky barrier heights showed a similar invariance with TDD, with measured values of 1.12–1.13eV obtained from fitting the I-V-T results to a thermionic emission-diffusion model. The I-V-T results were verified by IPE measurements made on the same diodes, confirming that the Ni∕n-GaN barrier heights do not show a measurable TDD dependence for the TDD range measured here. In apparent contrast to this result is th...

High linearity and high efficiency of class-B power amplifiers in GaN HEMT technology

A 36-dBm high-linearity single-ended common-source class-B monolithic-microwave integrated-circuit power amplifier is reported in GaN high electron-mobility transistor technology. We also describe the design and simulation of highly linear and highly efficient common-source and common-drain class-B power amplifiers. Single-ended class-B amplifiers with bandpass filtering have equivalent efficiency and linearity to push-pull configurations. The common-source class-B circuit demonstrates high linearity, greater than 35 dBc of third-order intermodulation (IM3) suppression and high power-added efficiency (PAE) of 34%. Simulations of common-drain class-B designs predict a PAE of 54% with a superior IM3 suppression of more than 45 dBc over a wider range of bias due to the strong series-series negative feedback offered by the load resistance.

GaN/InGaN light emitting diodes with embedded photonic crystal obtained by lateral epitaxial overgrowth

We introduce GaN∕InGaN light emitting diodes with a dielectric photonic crystal embedded in the epitaxial layer by lateral epitaxial overgrowth on a patterned GaN template. Overgrowth, coalescence, and epitaxial growth of the pn junction within a thickness of 500nm is obtained using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. This design strongly modifies the distribution of guided modes, as confirmed by angle-resolved measurements. The regime of operation and potential efficiency of such structures are discussed.

Systematic characterization of Cl 2 reactive ion etching for improved ohmics in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

Pre-metal-deposition reactive ion etching (RIE) was performed on an Al/sub 0.3/Ga/sub 0.7/N/AlN/GaN heterostructure in order to improve the metal-to-semiconductor contact resistance. An optimum AlGaN thickness for minimizing contact resistance was determined. An initial decrease in contact resistance with etching time was explained in terms of removal of an oxide surface layer and/or by an increase in tunnelling current with the decrease of the AlGaN thickness. The presence of a dissimilar surface layer was confirmed by an initial nonuniform etch depth rate. An increase in contact resistance for deeper etches was experienced. The increase was related to depletion of the two-dimensional (2-D) electron gas (2-DEG) under the ohmics. Etch depths were measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The contact resistance decreased from about 0.45 /spl Omega/mm for unetched ohmics to a minimum of 0.27 /spl Omega/mm for 70 /spl Aring/ etched ohmics. The initial thickness of the AlGaN layer was 250 /spl Aring/. The decrease in contact resistance, without excessive complications on device processing, supports RIE etching as a viable solution to improve ohmic contact resistance in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.

High voltage operation (>80 V) of GaN bipolar junction transistors with low leakage

We have demonstrated the high voltage operation of n-p-n GaN bipolar junction transistors using regrown emitters. Devices were grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on sapphire substrates. The n-type emitter was grown selectively on a base-collector p-n junction diode using a dielectric mask. A thin base (1000 A) was used to increase the current gain over our previous result with a regrown emitter [J. B. Limb, L. McCarthy, P. Kozodoy, H. Xing, J. Ibbetson, Y. Smorchkova, S. P. DenBaars, and U. K. Mishra, Electron. Lett. 35, 19 (1999)]. The base contacts were better than expected despite the use of a thin base. Common emitter operation showing a voltage operation of over 80 V with negligible leakage has been demonstrated. Room temperature current gain was ∼3 corresponding to a current transfer ratio of ∼0.75. This results in a calculated minority carrier lifetime of about 80 pS in the base.