The effects of ⁶⁰Co γ-ray irradiation on the DC characteristics of enhancement-mode AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors

The effects of 60Co γ-ray irradiation on the DC characteristics of AlGaN/GaN enhancement-mode high-electron-mobility transistors (E-mode HEMTs) are investigated. The results show that having been irradiated by 60Co γ-rays at a dose of 3 Mrad (Si), the E-mode HEMT reduces its saturation drain current and maximal transconductance by 6% and 5%, respectively, and significantly increases both forward and reverse gate currents, while its threshold voltage is affected only slightly. The obvious performance degradation of E-mode AlGaN/GaN HEMTs is consistent with the creation of electronegative surface state charges in the source-gate spacer and gate-drain spacer after being irradiated.     

The effects of 60Co γ-ray irradiation on the DC characteristics of enhancement-mode AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors

The effects of 60Co γ-ray irradiation on the DC characteristics of AlGaN/GaN enhancement-mode high-electron-mobility transistors (E-mode HEMTs) are investigated. The results show that having been irradiated by 60Co γ-rays at a dose of 3 Mrad (Si), the E-mode HEMT reduces its saturation drain current and maximal transconductance by 6% and 5%, respectively, and significantly increases both forward and reverse gate currents, while its threshold voltage is affected only slightly. The obvious performance degradation of E-mode AlGaN/GaN HEMTs is consistent with the creation of electronegative surface state charges in the source-gate spacer and gate-drain spacer after being irradiated.     

Enhancement-mode A1GaN/GaN high electronic mobility transistors with thin barrier＊

An enhancement-mode （E-mode） A1GaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor （HEMTs） was fabricated with 15-nm A1GaN barrier layer. E-mode operation was achieved by using fluorine plasma treatment and post-gate rapid thermal annealing. The thin barrier depletion-HEMTs with a threshold voltage typically around -1.7 V, which is higher than that of the 22-nm barrier depletion-mode HEMTs （-3.5 V）. Therefore, the thin barrier is emerging as an excellent candidate to realize the enhancement-mode operation. With 0.6-tim gate length, the devices treated by fluorine plasma for 150-W RF power at 150 s exhibited a threshold voltage of 1.3 V. The maximum drain current and maximum transconductance are 300 mA/mm, and 177 mS/ram, respectively. Compared with the 22-nm barrier E-mode devices, VT of the thin barrier HEMTs is much more stable under the gate step-stress,     

Evaluation of thermal resistance constitution for packaged A1GaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors by structure function method＊

The evaluation of thermal resistance constitution for packaged A1GaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor （HEMT） by structure function method is proposed in this paper. The evaluation is based on the transient heating measurement of the A1GaN/GaN HEMT by pulsed electrical temperature sensitive parameter method. The extracted chip-level and package-level thermal resistances of the packaged multi-finger A1GaN/GaN HEMT with 400μm SiC substrate are 22.5 K/W and 7.2 K/W respectively, which provides a non-invasive method to evaluate the chip-level thermal resistance of packaged A1GaN/GaN HEMTs. It is also experimentally proved that the extraction of the chip- level thermal resistance by this proposed method is not influenced by package form of the tested device and temperature boundary condition of measurement stage.     

Enhancement-mode AlGaN/GaN high electronic mobility transistors with thin barrier

An enhancement-mode (E-mode) AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMTs) was fabricated with 15-nm AlGaN barrier layer. E-mode operation was achieved by using fluorine plasma treatment and post-gate rapid thermal annealing. The thin barrier depletion-HEMTs with a threshold voltage typically around --1.7 V, which is higher than that of the 22-nm barrier depletion-mode HEMTs (--3.5 V). Therefore, the thin barrier is emerging as an excellent candidate to realize the enhancement-mode operation. With 0.6-μ m gate length, the devices treated by fluorine plasma for 150-W RF power at 150 s exhibited a threshold voltage of 1.3 V. The maximum drain current and maximum transconductance are 300 mA/mm, and 177 mS/mm, respectively. Compared with the 22-nm barrier E-mode devices, V_T of the thin barrier HEMTs is much more stable under the gate step-stress.     

Comparative study of adsorption characteristics of Cs on the GaN （0001） and GaN （0001） surfaces

The adsorption characteristics of Cs on GaN （0001） and GaN （0001） surfaces with a coverage from 1/4 to 1 monolayer have been investigated using the density functional theory with a plane-wave uttrasoft pseudopotential method based on first-principles calculations. The results show that the most stable position of the Cs adatom on the GaN （0001） surface is at the N-bridge site for 1/4 monolayer coverage. As the coverage of Cs atoms at the N-bridge site is increased, the adsorption energy reduces. As the Cs atoms achieve saturation, the adsorption is no longer stable when the coverage is 3/4 monolayer. The work function achieves its minimum value when the Cs adatom coverage is 2/4 monolayer, and then rises with Cs atomic coverage. The most stable position of Cs adatoms on the GaN （000i） surface is at H3 site for 1/4 monolayer coverage. As the Cs atomic coverage at H3 site is increased, the adsorption energy reduces, and the adsorption is still stable when the Cs adatom coverage is 1 monolayer. The work function reduces persistently, and does not rise with the increase of Cs coverage.     

A Physics-Based Compact Direct-Current and Alternating-Current Model for AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors

A set of analytical models for the dc and small signal characteristics of AIGaN/GaN high electron mobility transis- tors （HEMTs） are presented. A modified transferred-electron mobility model is adapted and a phenomenological low-field mobility model is developed. We calculate the channel charge considering the neutralization of donors and the contribution of free electrons in the AlGaN layer. The gate-to-source and gate-to-drain capacitances are obtained analytically, and the cut-off frequency is predicted. The models are implemented into the HSPICE simulator for the dc, ac and transient simulations and verified by experimental data for the first time. A high efficiency class-E GaN HEMT power amplifier is designed and simulated by the HSPICE to verify the applicability of our models.     

Measurement of GaN/Ge（001） Heterojunction Valence Band Offset by X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to measure the valence band offset （VBO） at the GaN/Ge heterostructure interface. The VBO is directly determined to be 1.13 ±0.19 eV, according to the relationship between the conduction band offset AEc and the valence band offset △Ev：△Ec =EgGaN -EgGe - △Ev, and taking the room-temperature band-gaps as 3.4 and 0.67eV for GaN and Ge, respectively. The conduction band offset is deduced to be 1.6±0.19 eV, which indicates a type-I band alignment for GaN/Ge. Accurate determination of the valence and conduction band offsets is important for the use of GaN/Ge based devices.     

Growth of Semi-Insulating GaN by Using Two-Step AIN Buffer Layer

Semi-insulating GaN is grown by using a two-step A1N buffer layer by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition. The sheet resistance of as-grown semi-insulating GaN is dramatically increased to 10^13 Ω/sq by using two-step A1N buffer instead of the traditional low-temperature GaN buffer. The high sheet resistance of as-grown GaN over 10^13 Ω/sq is due to inserting an insulating buffer layer （two-step A1N buffer） between the high-temperature GaN layer and a sapphire substrate which blocks diffusion of oxygen and overcomes the weakness of generating high density carrier near interface of GaN and sapphire when a low-temperature GaN buffer is used. The result suggests that the high conductive feature of unintentionally doped GaN is mainly contributed from the highly conductive channel near interface between GaN and the sapphire substrate, which is indirectly manifested by room-temperature photoluminescence excited by an incident laser beam radiating on growth surface and on the substrate. The functions of the two-step A1N buffer layer in reducing screw dislocation and improving crystal quality of GaN are also discussed.     

Low-leakage-current AIGaN/GaN HEMTs on Si substrates with partially Mg-doped GaN buffer layer by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

High-performance low-leakage-current A1GaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors （HEMTs） on silicon （111） sub- strates grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition （MOCVD） with a novel partially Magnesium （Mg）-doped GaN buffer scheme have been fabricated successfully. The growth and DC results were compared between Mg-doped GaN buffer layer and a unintentionally onμe. A 1μ m gate-length transistor with Mg-doped buffer layer exhibited an OFF-state drain leakage current of 8.3 × 10-8 A/mm, to our best knowledge, which is the lowest value reported for MOCVD-grown A1GaN/GaN HEMTs on Si featuring the same dimension and structure. The RF characteristics of 0.25-μ m gate length T-shaped gate HEMTs were also investigated.     

Comparative Characterization of InGaN/GaN Multiple Quantum Wells by Transmission Electron Microscopy, X-Ray Diffraction and Rutherford Backscattering

The composition, elastic strain and structural defects of InCaN/CaN multiple quantum wells （MQWs） are comparatively investigated by using x-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy and Rutherford backscattering/channelling. The InGaN well layers are fully strained on CaN, i.e. the degree of relaxation is zero. The multilayered structure has a clear defined periodic thickness and abrupt interfaces. The In composition is deduced by XRD simulation. We show how the periodic structure, the In composition, the strain status and the crystalline quality of the InGaN/GaN MQ, Ws can be determined and cross-checked by various techniques.     

Comparative study of adsorption characteristics of Cs on the GaN(0001) and GaN(000) surfaces

The adsorption characteristics of Cs on GaN(0001) and GaN(000) surfaces with a coverage from 1/4 to 1 monolayer have been investigated using the density functional theory with a plane-wave ultrasoft pseudopotential method based on first-principles calculations.The results show that the most stable position of the Cs adatom on the GaN(0001) surface is at the N-bridge site for 1/4 monolayer coverage.As the coverage of Cs atoms at the N-bridge site is increased,the adsorption energy reduces.As the Cs atoms achieve saturation,the adsorption is no longer stable when the coverage is 3/4 monolayer.The work function achieves its minimum value when the Cs adatom coverage is 2/4 monolayer,and then rises with Cs atomic coverage.The most stable position of Cs adatoms on the GaN(000) surface is at H3 site for 1/4 monolayer coverage.As the Cs atomic coverage at H3 site is increased,the adsorption energy reduces,and the adsorption is still stable when the Cs adatom coverage is 1 monolayer.The work function reduces persistently,and does not rise with the increase of Cs coverage.     

Significant performance enhancement in A1GaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor by high-κ organic dielectric

The electrical properties of A1GaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor （HEMT） with and without high-κ organic dielectrics are investigated. The maximum drain current ID max and the maximum transconductance gm max of the organic dielectric/A1CaN/GaN structure can be enhanced by 74.5%, and 73.7% compared with those of the bare A1GaN/GaN HEMT, respectively. Both the threshold voltage VT and gm max of the dielectric/AlGaN/GaN HEMT are strongly dielectric-constant-dependent. Our results suggest that it is promising to significantly improve the performance of the A1GaN/GaN HEMT by introducing the high-κ organic dielectric.     

Various Recipes of SiNx Passivated AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors in Correlation with Current Slump

The current slump of different recipes of SiN~ passivated AIGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors （HEMTs） is investigated. The dc and pulsed current-voltage curves of AIGaN/GaN HEMTs using different recipes are analyzed. It is found that passivation leakage has a strong relationship with NH3 flow in the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor phase deposition process, which has impacted on the current collapse of SiNs passivated devices. We analyze the pulsed IDS -- VDS characteristics of different recipes of SiNx passivation devices for different combinations of gate and drain quiescent biases （VGso, VDSO） of （0, 0）, （-6, 0）, （-6, 15） and （0, 15）V. The possible mechanisms are the traps in SiNxpassivation capturing the electrons and the surface states at the SiNx/AIGaN interface, which can affect the channel of two-dimensional electron gas and cause the current collapse.     

60Co gamma radiation effect on AlGaN/AlN/GaN HEMT devices

The testing techniques and experimental methods of the ⁶⁰Co gamma irradiation effect on AlGaN/AlN/ GaN high electron mobility transistors （HEMTs） are established. The degradation of the electrical properties of the device under the actual radiation environment are analyzed theoretically, and studies of the total dose effects of gamma radiation on AlGaN/AlN/GaN HEMTs at three different radiation bias conditions are carried out. The degradation patterns of the main parameters of the AlGaN/AlN/GaN HEMTs at different doses are then investigated, and the device parameters that were sensitive to the gamma radiation induced damage and the total dose level induced device damage are obtained.     

Growth and Characterization of A1GaN/A1N/GaN HEMT Structures with a Compositionally Step-Graded A1GaN Barrier Layer

A new A1GaN/A1N/GaN high electron mobility transistor （HEMT） structure using a compositionally step-graded A1GaN barrier layer is grown on sapphire by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition （MOCVD）. The structure demonstrates significant enhancement of two-dimensional electron gas （2DEG） mobility and smooth surface morphology compared with the conventional HEMT structure with high A1 composition A1GaN barrier. The high 2DEG mobility of 1806 cm2/Vs at room temperature and low rms surface roughness of 0.220 nm for a scan area of 5μm×5 μm are attributed to the improvement of interracial and crystal quality by employing the stepgraded barrier to accommodate the large lattice mismatch stress. The 2DEG sheet density is independent of the measurement temperature, showing the excellent 2DEG confinement of the step-graded structure. A low average sheet resistance of 314.5Ω/square, with a good resistance uniformity of 0.68%, is also obtained across the 50 mm epilayer wafer. HEMT devices are successfully fabricated using this material structure, which exhibits a maximum extrinsic transconductance of 218 mS/ram and a maximum drain current density of 800 mA/mm.     

Temperature dependence of radiation-induced attenuation of optical fibers

We investigate the temperature dependence of radiation-induced attenuation (RIA) at 1 310 nm for a Ge/P co-doped fiber after a steady-state γ-ray irradiation.A γ irradiation facility 60Co source is used to irradiate the fiber at a dose rate of 0.5 Gy/min,satisfying a total dose of 100 Gy.The test temperature ranges from-40 to 60℃ by 20℃,and the RIA of the fiber is obtained using a power measuring device.The experimental result demonstrates that RIA exhibits a steady,monotonic,and remarkable temperature dependence after approximately 48h of accelerated annealing at 70℃.The optical fiber irradiated with a high dose and annealed sufficiently can be used as a temperature sensor.     

Breakdown mechanisms in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors with different GaN channel thickness values

In this paper,the off-state breakdown characteristics of two different AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors（HEMTs）,featuring a 50-nm and a 150-nm GaN thick channel layer,respectively,are compared.The HEMT with a thick channel exhibits a little larger pinch-off drain current but significantly enhanced off-state breakdown voltage(SV_off).Device simulation indicates that thickening the channel increases the drain-induced barrier lowering（DIBL） but reduces the lateral electric field in the channel and buffer underneath the gate.The increase of BV_off in the thick channel device is due to the reduction of the electric field.These results demonstrate that it is necessary to select an appropriate channel thickness to balance DIBL and BV_off in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.     

Measurement of Branching Ratio of Deuteron Induced Reactions on ^2H at 20 keV

The γ-rays and protons from Ed = 20keY deuterons incident on a D-Ti target are measured. The branching ratio of the 2H （d, γ）4He reaction to the ^2H （d, p）^3H reaction is obtained to be Гγ/Гp= （1.06 ±0.42） ×10^-7, and the astrophysical S factor of the ^2He（d, γ）^4He reaction is deduced to be （5.7±2.4）×10^-6.     

Growth and Annealing Study of Mg-Doped AlGaN and GaN/AlGaN Superlattices

Mg-doped AlGaN and GaN/AlGaN superlattices are grown by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition （MOCVD） Rapid thermal annealing （RTA） treatments are carried out on the samples. Hall and high resolution x-ray diffraction measurements are used to characterize the electrical and structural prosperities of the as-grown and annealed samples, respectively. The results of hall measurements show that after annealing, the Mg-doped AIGaN sample can not obtain the distinct hole concentration and can acquire a resistivity of 1.4 ×10^3 Ωcm. However, with the same annealing treatment, the GaN/AlGaN superlattice sample has a hole concentration of 1.7 × 10^17 cm-3 and a resistivity of 5.6Ωcm. The piezoelectric field in the GaN/AlGaN superlattices improves the activation efficiency of Mg acceptors, which leads to higher hole concentration and lower p-type resistivity.