Yuya Yamaoka

Investigation on Current Collapse of AlGaN/GaN HFET by Gate Bias Stress

The mechanism of current collapse of AlGaN/GaN heterojunction field-effect transistors (HFETs) was investigated by gate bias stress with and without illumination. It is clarified that there are two positions where negative charges accumulate, at the gate edge and in the bulk epi-layer. In the gate-edge mode, the charge comes either through the passivation film or the AlGaN layer, depending on the resistance of the films. Reduction of leakage current in the passivation film will be important to suppress the surface-related collapse.

Opportunities and challenges in GaN metal organic chemical vapor deposition for electron devices

The current situation and next challenge in GaN metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) for electron devices of both GaN on Si and GaN on GaN are presented. We have examined the possibility of increasing the growth rate of GaN on 200-mm-diameter Si by using a multiwafer production MOCVD machine, in which the vapor phase parasitic reaction is well controlled. The impact of a high-growth-rate strained-layer-superlattice (SLS) buffer layer is presented in terms of material properties. An SLS growth rate of as high as 3.46 µm/h, which was 73% higher than the current optimum, was demonstrated. As a result, comparable material properties were obtained. Next, a typical result of GaN doped with Si of 1 × 1016 cm−3 grown at the growth rate of 3.7 µm/h is shown. For high-voltage application, we need a thick high-purity GaN drift layer with a low carbon concentration, of less than 1016 cm−3. It is shown that achieving a high growth rate by precise control of the vapor phase reaction is still challenge in GaN MOCVD.

Relationship between Al content of AlGaN buffer layer on top of initial AlN nucleation layer on Si and vertical leakage current of AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor structures

The vertical leakage current of AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors on Si substrates was studied. The effects of the Al content in the AlGaN buffer layer and pit density on the vertical leakage current were not as significant as the effect of the initial AlN layers crystal quality.