E. C. Piquette

High voltage (450 V) GaN Schottky rectifiers

We fabricated high standoff voltage (450 V) Schottky rectifiers on hydride vapor phase epitaxy grown GaN on sapphire substrate. Several Schottky device geometries were investigated, including lateral geometry with rectangular and circular contacts, mesa devices, and Schottky metal field plate overlapping a SiO2 layer. The best devices were characterized by an ON-state voltage of 4.2 V at a current density of 100 A/cm2 and a saturation current density of 10^–5 A/cm2 at a reverse bias of 100 V. From the measured breakdown voltage we estimated the critical field for electric breakdown in GaN to be (2.2 ± 0.7) × 10^6 V/cm. This value for the critical field is a lower limit since most of the devices exhibited abrupt and premature breakdown associated with corner and edge effects.

Minority carrier diffusion length and lifetime in GaN

Electron beam induced current measurements on planar Schottky diodes on undoped GaN grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition are reported. The minority carrier diffusion length of 0.28 μm has been measured, indicating minority carrier lifetime of 6.5 ns. The tapping mode atomic force microscopy imaging of the surfaces and scanning electron microscopy of the cross sections have been used to characterize the linear dislocations and columnar structure of the GaN. The possible influence of recombination on the extended defects in GaN on the minority carrier diffusion length and lifetime is discussed, and contrasted to other recombination mechanisms.

Electron diffusion length and lifetime in p-type GaN

We report on electron beam induced current and current–voltage (I–V) measurements on Schottky diodes on p-type doped GaN layers grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. A Schottky barrier height of 0.9 eV was measured for the Ti/Au Schottky contact from the I–V data. A minority carrier diffusion length for electrons of (0.2 ± 0.05) µm was measured for the first time in GaN. This diffusion length corresponds to an electron lifetime of approximately 0.1 ns. We attempted to correlate the measured electron diffusion length and lifetime with several possible recombination mechanisms in GaN and establish connection with electronic and structural properties of GaN.

Measurement of induced surface charges, contact potentials, and surface states in GaN by electric force microscopy

We have studied molecular beam epitaxy grown GaN films of both polarities using electric force microscopy to detect sub 1 µm regions of charge density variations associated with GaN extended defects. The large piezoelectric coefficients of GaN together with strain introduced by crystalline imperfections produce variations in piezoelectrically induced electric fields around these defects. The consequent spatial rearrangement of charges can be detected by electrostatic force microscopy and was found to be on the order of the characteristic Debye length for GaN at our dopant concentration. The electric force microscope signal was also found to be a linear function of the contact potential between the metal coating on the tip and GaN. Electrostatic analysis yielded a surface state density of 9.4 ± 0.5 × 10^10 cm – 2 at an energy of 30 mV above the valence band indicating that the GaN surface is unpinned in this case.

The values of minority carrier diffusion lengths and lifetimes in GaN and their implications for bipolar devices

Abstract The wide bandgap semiconductors GaN and AlGaN show promise as the high voltage standoff layers in high power heterostructure bipolar transistors and thyristors due to their electric breakdown characteristics. Material properties which significantly influence the design and performance of these devices are electron and hole diffusion lengths and recombination lifetimes. We report direct measurements of minority carrier diffusion lengths for both holes and electrons by electron beam induced current. For planar Schottky diodes on unintentionally doped n-type and p-type GaN grown by metal organic vapor phase deposition (MOCVD), the diffusion lengths were found to be (0.28±0.03) μm for holes and (0.2±0.05) μm for electrons. Minority carrier lifetimes of approximately 7 ns for holes and 0.1 ns for electrons were estimated from these measured diffusion lengths and mobilities. In the case of GaN grown by halide vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) diffusion lengths in the 1–2 μm range were found. We attempt to correlate the measured diffusion lengths and lifetimes with the structural properties of GaN and to explain why linear dislocations might act as a recombination centers. We calculate the performance of nitride based bipolar devices, in particular thyristor switches. The forward voltage drop across standoff layer of the nitride based thyristor switch is shown to significantly depend on the minority carrier (hole) lifetime.

Correlation between the surface defect distribution and minority carrier transport properties in GaN

We have studied linear dislocations and surface defects in p- and n-type metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, hydride vapor phase epitaxy, and molecular beam epitaxy grown GaN films on sapphire with atomic force microscopy. The surface pits due to threading dislocations were found not to be distributed randomly but on the boundaries of growth columns. The dislocations are thought to be electrically active since the average distance between them (average column size) is comparable to minority carrier diffusion lengths as measured by electron beam induced current experiments on Schottky diodes fabricated with the same material. Diffusion lengths found for holes and electrons are on the order of Lp = 0.28 µm and Le = 0.16 µm which corresponded to the sizes of regions free from surface dislocations in both cases and can be described by a simple model of recombination on grain boundaries.

Solid phase recrystallization of ZnS thin films on sapphire

High quality ZnS thin films are important for light emitting diodes based on ZnS, which is a very efficient phosphor. To improve as grown, molecular beam epitaxial, (111)-oriented cubic ZnS films, where defects were introduced due to the large mismatch between ZnS and a sapphire substrate (~ 20%), the ZnS was recrystallized by annealing at temperatures in the 825–1000 °C range, and sulfur pressures of 10 atm. The films have been structurally characterized by high-resolution x-ray diffraction, and electron diffraction by electron channeling patterns. Structural properties of the films annealed at temperatures above 900° have improved significantly. Tilting in the recrystallized films has been reduced more than tenfold, with the recrystallized grains being defect-free. Most films were recrystallized in the as-grown, cubic form, as shown by electron channeling patterns. The surfaces of the films have been inspected with scanning electron microscope, and on most samples they have been found to remain smooth, although on some of the films annealed at elevated temperatures we have observed hexagonal pits. The role of sulfur gas overpressure in the recrystallization has been discussed, and possible effects on film evaporation, grain boundary migration and compliancy of sapphire substrate have been analyzed.

Design And Fabrication Of Nitride Based High Power Devices

We modeled the breakdown voltage, critical current density and maximum operating frequency of several GaN and GaN/AlN based high power and high temperature electronic devices. Important model parameters which influence device design and performance are minority carrier recombination lifetime and critical field for electric breakdown. GaN Schottky devices have been fabricated in the planar geometry. Current-voltage measurements indicated the importance of the vertical geometry for achieving large breakdown voltages. The minority carrier (hole) recombination lifetimes have been measured by electron beam induced currents (EBIC). The measured hole lifetime of 7 ns and estimate for the critical field indicate the possibility of GaN/AlGaN thyristor switch devices operating at 5KV with current densities approximately equal to 200 A/cm 2 and at frequencies above 2MHz. The GaN structural and optical materials quality and processing requirement for etching is discussed.

Nitride Based High Power Devices: Transport Properties, Linear Defects And Goals

The wide bandgap semiconductors GaN and AlGaN show promise for high voltage standoff layers in high power devices such as GaN Schottky rectifiers and GaN/AlGaN thyristorlike switches. The material properties which significantly influence the device design and performance are electron and hole diffusion lengths, recombination lifetimes and the critical field for electric breakdown. We have fabricated high standoff voltage (> 450 V) GaN Schot-tky rectifiers, and measured a lower limit for the critical field for electric breakdown to be (2 ± 0.5) · 10 6 V/cm. Diffusion lengths and recombination lifetimes were measured by electron beam induced current on unintentionally doped, n and p-type GaN samples grown by various epitaxial techniques. To establish the possible effects of linear dislocations and other defects on the transport and breakdown properties, the same sample surfaces were analyzed by AFM. On some of the samples, our measurements indicate that the dislocations appear to be electrically active and that recombination at dislocations occupying grain boundaries limit the minority carrier lifetime to the nanosecond range. Based on the measurements of transport properties, critical fields and the modeling of the devices proposed, our estimates indicate that DARPA/EPRI goals for megawatt electronics set at 5 kV standoff voltage and 200 A on-state current might be achieved with 15 – 20 μm thick layers grown by HVPE, at approximately 1. 10 16 cm −3 doping levels, and 1 – 2cm 2 device active area.

Compositionally Dependent Band Offsets In Aln/Al x Ga 1-x N Heterojunctions Measured By Using X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Although GaN has been extensively studied for applications in both light emitting and high power devices, the AlN/GaN valence band offset remains an area of contention. Values quoted in the literature range from 0.8eV (Martin)[1] to 1.36eV (Waldrop)[2]. This paper details an investigation of the AIN/Al x Ga 1-x N band offset as a function of alloy composition. We find an AlN/Al x Ga 1-x N valence band offset that is nearly linear with Al content and an end point offset for AlN/GaN of 1.36 ± 0.1 eV. Samples were grown using radio frequency plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy and characterized with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS). Core-level and valence-band XPS data for AIN (0001) and Al x Ga 1-x N (0001) samples were analyzed to determine core-level to valence band maximum (VBM) energy differences. In addition, oxygen contamination effects were tracked in an effort to improve accuracy. Energy separations of core levels were obtained from AlN/Al x Ga 1-x N(0001) heterojunctions. From this and the core-level to valence band maximum separations of the bulk materials, valence band offsets were calculated.