J.-I. Chyi

Comparison of GaN p-i-n and Schottky rectifier performance

The performance of GaN p-i-n and Schottky rectifiers fabricated on the same wafer was investigated as a function of device size and operating temperature. There was a significant difference in reverse breakdown voltage (490 V for p-i-n diodes; 347 V for the Schottky diodes) and forward turn-on voltage (/spl sim/5 V for the p-i-n diodes; /spl sim/3.5 V for the Schottky diodes). Both types of device showed a negative temperature coefficient for reverse breakdown, with value -0.34/spl plusmn/0.05 V/spl middot/K/sup -1/.

MgO/p-GaN enhancement mode metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors

We report the initial demonstration of an enhancement mode MgO/p-GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) utilizing Si+ ion-implanted regions under the source and drain to provide a source of minority carriers for inversion. The breakdown voltage for an 80-nm-thick MgO gate dielectric was ∼14 V, corresponding to a breakdown field strength of 1.75 MV cm−1 and the p-n junction formed between the p-epi and the source had a reverse breakdown voltage >15 V. Inversion of the channel was achieved for gate voltages above 6 V. The maximum transconductance was 5.4 μS mm−1 at a drain-source voltage of 5 V, comparable to the initial values reported for GaAs MOSFETs.

Gd2O3/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor

Gd2O3 has been deposited epitaxially on GaN using elemental Gd and an electron cyclotron resonance oxygen plasma in a gas-source molecular beam epitaxy system. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy shows a high concentration of dislocations which arise from the large lattice mismatch between the two materials. GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) fabricated using a dielectric stack of single crystal Gd2O3 and amorphous SiO2 show modulation at gate voltages up to 7 V and are operational at source drain voltages up to 80 V. This work represents demonstrations of single crystal growth of Gd2O3 on GaN and of a GaN MOSFET using Gd2O3 in the gate dielectric.

Breakdown voltage and reverse recovery characteristics of free-standing GaN Schottky rectifiers

Schottky rectifiers with implanted p/sup +/ guard ring edge termination fabricated on free-standing GaN substrates show reverse breakdown voltages up to 160 V in vertical geometry devices. The specific on-state resistance was in the range 1.7-3.0 /spl Omega//spl middot/cm/sup 2/, while the turn-on voltage was /spl sim/1.8 V. The switching performance was analyzed using the reverse recovery current transient waveform, producing an approximate high-injection, level hole lifetime of /spl sim/15 ns. The bulk GaN rectifiers show significant improvement in forward current density and on-state resistance over previous heteroepitaxial devices.

Vertical and lateral GaN rectifiers on free-standing GaN substrates

Edge-terminated Schottky rectifiers fabricated on quasibulk GaN substrates showed a strong dependence of reverse breakdown voltage VB on contact dimension and on rectifier geometry (lateral versus vertical). For small diameter (75 μm) Schottky contacts, VB measured in the vertical geometry was ∼700 V, with an on-state resistance (RON) of 3 mΩ cm2, producing a figure-of-merit VB2/RON of 162.8 MW cm−2. Measured in the lateral geometry, these same rectifiers had VB of ∼250 V, RON of 1.7 mΩ cm2 and figure-of-merit 36.5 MW cm−2. The forward turn-on voltage (VF) was ∼1.8 V (defined at a current density of 100 A cm−2), producing VB/VF ratios of 139–389. In very large diameter (∼5 mm) rectifiers, VB dropped to ∼6 V, but forward currents up to 500 mA were obtained in dc measurements.

Tuning the energy levels of self-assembled InAs quantum dots by rapid thermal annealing

We studied the photoluminescence spectra of rapid-thermal-annealed self-assembled InAs quantum dots at 10 K. For annealing temperatures ranging from 700 to 950 °C, we observed a blueshift in the interband transition energies, a decrease in the intersublevel spacing energies, and a narrowing of photoluminescence linewidths. In this letter, we demonstrate that the tuning of the InAs quantum dots interband transition and intersublevel spacing energies can be achieved by 30 s of rapid thermal annealing. The relation between interband transition energy changes and the intersublevel spacing energies is found to be linear, with a slope close to the ratio of the dots’ height to their diameter.

Matrix dependence of strain-induced wavelength shift in self-assembled InAs quantum-dot heterostructures

We report on the matrix-dependent strain effect in self-assembled InAs quantum-dot heterostructures using photoluminescence measurements. A series of samples were prepared to examine the effect of quantum dot position with respect to the so-called strain-reducing layer (SRL). Since the SRL reduces the residual hydrostatic strain in the quantum dots, long emission wavelength of 1.34 μm is observed for the InAs quantum dots with an In0.16Ga0.84As SRL. The dependence of the emission wavelength on the thickness of the cap layer on SRL also indicates the importance of the role of matrix in the strain relaxation process of the dots. Using In0.16Al0.84As instead of In0.16Ga0.84As as the SRL, a blueshift in wavelength is observed because the elastic stiffness of In0.16Al0.84As is higher than that of In0.16Ga0.84As and less strain is removed from the dots with In0.16Al0.84As SRL.

Effect of external strain on the conductivity of AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors

The changes in conductance of the channel of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor structures during application of both tensile and compressive strain were measured. For fixed Al mole fraction, the changes in conductance were roughly linear over the range up to 2.7x 10 8 N.cm -2 , with coefficients for planar devices of -6.0 +/- 2.5 x 10 -10 S.N -1 .m -2 for tensile strain and +9.5+/-3.5 x10 -10 S.N -1 .m -2 for compressive strain .For mesa-isolated structures, the coefficients were smaller due to the reduced effect of the AlGaN strain, with values of 5.5 +/- 1.1 x10 -13 S.N -1 .m -2 for tensile strain and 4.8 x10 -13 S.N -1 .m -2 for compressive strain. The large changes in conductance demonstrate that simple AlGaN/GaN heterostructures are promising for pressure and strain sensor applications.

GaN electronics for high power, high temperature applications

A brief review is given of recent progress in fabrication of high voltage GaN and AlGaN rectifiers, GaN/AlGaN heterojunction bipolar transistors and GaN metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors. Improvements in epitaxial layer quality and in fabrication techniques have led to significant advances in device performance.

Properties of Ga2O3(Gd2O3)/GaN metal–insulator–semiconductor diodes

Ga2O3(Gd2O3), electron beam evaporated from a single crystal Ga5Gd3O12 garnet, was ex situ deposited on molecular beam epitaxy grown GaN of Ga-polar surface. Using capacitance–voltage measurement, accumulation and depletion behavior was observed in the Ga2O3(Gd2O3)/GaN metal–oxide–semiconductor diodes, with an interfacial density of states less than 1011 cm−2 eV−1. The Ga2O3(Gd2O3)/GaN interface remains intact with the samples subject to rapid-thermal annealing up to 950 °C, as studied from x-ray reflectivity measurements.