The effect of interface roughness scattering on low field mobility of 2D electron gas in GaN/AlGaN heterostructure

We report the results of our experimental and theoretical studies concerning the temperature dependence of electron mobility in a two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) confined at the GaN/AlGaN interface. Experimental mobility of about at 3.8 K remains almost constant up to lattice temperature , it then decreases rapidly down to about at . The results are discussed using a theoretical model that takes into account the most important scattering mechanisms contributing to determine the mobility of electrons in 2DEG. We show that the polar optical phonon scattering is the dominant mechanism at high temperatures and the acoustic deformation potential and piezoelectric scatterings are dominant at the intermediate temperatures. At low temperatures, the Hall mobility is confined by both the interface roughness (IFR) and ionised impurity scattering. The correlation length (Λ) and lateral size (Δ) of roughness at the GaN/AlGaN heterointerface have been determined by fitting best to our low-temperature experimental data.     

The low-temperature mobility of two-dimensional electron gas in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures

To reveal the internal physics of the low-temperature mobility of two-dimensional electron gas （2DEG） in Al- GaN/GaN heterostructures, we present a theoretical study of the strong dependence of 2DEG mobility on Al content and thickness of AlGaN barrier layer. The theoretical results are compared with one of the highest measured of 2DEG mobility reported for AlGaN/GaN heterostructures. The 2DEG mobility is modelled as a combined effect of the scat- tering mechanisms including acoustic deformation-potential, piezoelectric, ionized background donor, surface donor, dislocation, alloy disorder and interface roughness scattering. The analyses of the individual scattering processes show that the dominant scattering mechanisms are the alloy disorder scattering and the interface roughness scattering at low temperatures. The variation of 2DEG mobility with the barrier layer parameters results mainly from the change of 2DEG density and distribution. It is suggested that in AlGaN/GaN samples with a high Al content or a thick AlGaN layer, the interface roughness scattering may restrict the 2DEG mobility significantly, for the AlGaN/GaN interface roughness increases due to the stress accumulation in AlGaN layer.     

晶格匹配InAlN/GaN和InAlN/AlN/GaN材料二维电子气输运特性研究

文章研究了InAlN/GaN和引入AlN界面插入层形成的InAlN/AlN/GaN材料的输运性质. 样品均在蓝宝石上以脉冲金属有机物化学气相淀积法生长,霍尔迁移率变温特性具有典型的二维电子气(2DEG)特征. 综合各种散射机理包括声学形变势散射、压电散射、极性光学声子散射、位错散射、合金无序散射和界面粗糙度散射,理论分析了温度对迁移率的影响,发现室温下两种材料中2DEG支配性的散射机理都是极性光学波散射和界面粗糙度散射;AlN插入层对InAlN/GaN材料迁移率的改善作用一方面是免除2DEG的合金无序散射,另外还显著改善异质界面,抑制了界面粗糙度散射. 考虑到2DEG密度也是影响其迁移率的重要因素,结合实验数据给出了晶格匹配InAlN/GaN和InAlN/AlN/GaN材料的2DEG迁移率随电子密度变化的理论上限. 关键词： InAlN/GaN 二维电子气 迁移率     

Influence of temperature on strain-induced polarization Coulomb field scattering in AlN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors

Electron mobility scattering mechanism in AlN/GaN heterostuctures is investigated by temperature-dependent Hall measurement, and it is found that longitudinal optical phonon scattering dominates electron mobility near room temperature while the interface roughness scattering becomes the dominant carrier scattering mechanism at low temperatures(～100 K).Based on measured current–voltage characteristics of prepared rectangular AlN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistor under different temperatures, the temperature-dependent variation of electron mobility under different gate biases is investigated. The polarization Coulomb field(PCF) scattering is found to become an important carrier scattering mechanism after device processing under different temperatures. Moreover, it is found that the PCF scattering is not generated from the thermal stresses, but from the piezoelectric contribution induced by the electrical field in the thin AlN barrier layer. This is attributed to the large lattice mismatch between the extreme thinner AlN barrier layer and GaN, giving rise to a stronger converse piezoelectric effect.     

Electron mobility in a modulation doped AlGaN/GaN quantum well

We consider a two dimensional electron gas confined to a modulation doped AlGaN/GaN quantum well and study the dependence of low field mobility on various parameters such as composition, well width, remote impurity and interface roughness as a function of temperature. GaN is assumed to be in the zincblende structure. Acoustic and optical phonon, ionized remote impurity and interface roughness scatterings are taken into account in mobility calculations. The scattering rates are calculated using the self-consistently calculated wave functions obtained from the numerical solution of Poisson and Schr?dinger equations. Also found from the self-consistent solutions are the potential profile at the junction, the energy levels in the well and electron concentrations in each level. Ensemble Monte Carlo method is used to find the drift velocities of the two dimensional electrons along the interface under an applied field. The mobility of two dimensional electrons is obtained from the drift velocity of electrons. It is found that while remote impurity scattering is very effective for small values of spacer layer and doping concentrations, increasing Al concentration reduces the mobility of electrons. The effect of surface roughness, on the other hand, on mobility is almost independent of well width. The results of our simulations are compatible with the existing experimental data.     

Two-dimensional electron transport in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures

We present a theoretical study of electron transport properties of two-dimensional electron gas in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures. By assuming a drifted Fermi–Dirac distribution and taking into account all major scattering mechanisms, including polar optical and acoustic phonons, background impurities, dislocation and interface roughness, the momentum- and energy-balance equations derived from Boltzmann equation are solved self-consistently. The dependence of the electron drift velocity and electron temperature as a function of the applied electric field are obtained and discussed.     

High field transport properties in a GaN/AlGaN heterostructure

The drift velocity, electron temperature, electron energy and momentum loss rates of a two-dimensional electron gas are calculated in a GaN/AlGaN heterojunction (HJ) at high electric fields employing the energy and momentum balance technique, assuming the drifted Fermi–Dirac (F–D) distribution function for electrons. Besides the conventional scattering mechanisms, roughness induced new scattering mechanisms such as misfit piezoelectric and misfit deformation potential scatterings are considered in momentum relaxation. Energy loss rates due to acoustic phonons and polar optical phonon scattering with hot phonon effect are considered. The calculated drift velocity, electron temperature and energy loss rate are compared with the experimental data and a good agreement is obtained. The hot phonon effect is found to reduce the drift velocity, energy and momentum loss rates, whereas it enhances the electron temperature. Also the effect of using drifted F–D distribution, due to high carrier density in GaN/AlGaN HJs, contrary to the drifted Maxwellian distribution function used in the earlier calculations, is brought out.     

Fang–Howard wave function modelling of electron mobility in AlInGaN/AlN/InGaN/GaN double heterostructures

To study the electron transport properties in InGaN channel-based heterostructures,a revised Fang-Howard wave function is proposed by combining the effect of GaN back barrier.Various scattering mechanisms,such as dislocation impurity(DIS) scattering,polar optical phonon(POP) scattering,piezoelectric field(PE) scattering,interface roughness(IFR) scattering,deformation potential(DP) scattering,alloy disorder(ADO) scattering from InGaN channel layer,and temperature-dependent energy bandgaps are considered in the calculation model.A contrast of AlInGaN/AlN/InGaN/GaN double heterostructure(DH) to the theoretical AlInGaN/AlN/InGaN single heterostructure(SH) is made and analyzed with a full range of barrier alloy composition.The effect of channel alloy composition on InGaN channel-based DH with technologically important Al(In,Ga)N barrier is estimated and optimal indium mole fraction is 0.04 for higher mobility in DH with Al_(0.4)In_(0.07)Ga_(0.53)N barrier.Finally,the temperature-dependent two-dimensional electron gas(2 DEG) density and mobility in InGaN channel-based DH with Al_(0.83)In_(0.13)Ga_(0.0)4 N and Al_(0.4)In_(0.07)Ga_(0.53)N barrier are investigated.Our results are expected to conduce to the practical application of InGaN channel-based heterostructures.     

Temperature dependent energy relaxation time in AlGaN/AlN/GaN heterostructures

The two-dimensional (2D) electron energy relaxation in Al_0.25Ga_0.75N/AlN/GaN heterostructures was investigated experimentally by using two experimental techniques; Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) effect and classical Hall Effect. The electron temperature (T_e) of hot electrons was obtained from the lattice temperature (T_L) and the applied electric field dependencies of the amplitude of SdH oscillations and Hall mobility. The experimental results for the electron temperature dependence of power loss are also compared with the current theoretical models for power loss in 2D semiconductors. The power loss that was determined from the SdH measurements indicates that the energy relaxation of electrons is due to acoustic phonon emission via unscreened piezoelectric interaction. In addition, the power loss from the electrons obtained from Hall mobility for electron temperatures in the range T_e > 100 K is associated with optical phonon emission. The temperature dependent energy relaxation time in Al_0.25Ga_0.75N/AlN/GaN heterostructures that was determined from the power loss data indicates that hot electrons relax spontaneously with MHz to THz emission with increasing temperatures.     

Temperature characterization of Raman scattering in an AlGaN/GaN heterostructure

Raman scattering from an AlGaN/GaN heterostructure was performed in the temperature range from 77 to 773 K. The first- and second-order Raman scattering of the A₁ longitudinal-optical phonon–plasmon coupled mode from an AlGaN/GaN interface as well as the Raman scattering from the GaN layer were observed. All the modes downshift, and their intensities weaken with increasing temperature. The free-carrier concentration estimated by the frequency of the coupled mode from an AlGaN/GaN interface is 7.5 times as high as that of n-AlGaN, indicating mass free-carrier transfer from the AlGaN barrier to the GaN well. Moreover, the temperature dependence of the phonon frequency is well described by an empirical formula. PACS 78.30.Fs; 63.20.Ls; 61.82.Fk; 68.60.Dv; 81.15.Gh     

Degradation mechanism of two-dimensional electron gas density in high Al-content AlGaN/GaN heterostructures

This paper finds that the two-dimensional electron gas density in high Al-content AlGaN/GaN heterostructures exhibits an obvious time-dependent degradation after the epitaxial growth. The degradation mechanism was investigated in depth using Hall effect measurements, high resolution x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The results reveal that the formation of surface oxide is the main reason for the degradation, and the surface oxidation always occurs within the surface hexagonal defects for high Al-content AlGaN/GaN heterostructures.     

Optically pumped GaN/AlGaN quantum well intersubband terahertz laser

We propose an optically pumped nonpolar GaN/AlGaN quantum well (QW) active region design for terahertz (THz) lasing in the wavelength range of 30 μm～ 40 μm and operating at room temperature. The fast longitudinal optical (LO) phonon scattering in GaN/AlGaN QWs is used to depopulate the lower laser state, and more importantly, the large LO phonon energy is utilized to reduce the thermal population of the lasing states at high temperatures. The influences of temperature and pump intensity on gain and electron densities are investigated. Based on our simulations, we predict that with a sufficiently high pump intensity, a room temperature operated THz laser using a nonpolar GaN/AlGaN structure is realizable.     

Temperature dependence of Hall electron density of GaN-based heterostructures

The theoretic calculation and analysis of the temperature dependence of Hall electron density of a sample AlGaN/GaN heterostructure has been carried out in the temperature range from 77 to 300K. The densities of the two-dimensional electron gas and the bulk electrons are solved by self-consistent calculation of one-dimensional Schr?dinger and Poisson equations at different temperatures, which allow for the variation of energy gap and structure strain, and are used for evaluation of the temperature dependence of Hall electron density. The calculated Hall electron density agrees with the measured one quite well with the appropriate bulk mobility data. Analysis revealed that for the temperature range considered, even in the heterostructures with a small bulk conductance the factors that determine the Hall mobility and electron density could be of different sources, and not just the two-dimensional electron gas as generally supposed.     

From anti‐Stokes photoluminescence to resonant Raman scattering in GaN single crystals and GaN‐based heterostructures

The progress on anti‐Stokes photoluminescence and Stokes and anti‐Stokes Raman scattering in GaN single crystals and GaN/AlN heterostructures is reviewed. Anti‐Stokes photoluminescence investigated in the past was primarily attributed to two‐photon absorption, three‐photon absorption, and phonon‐assisted absorption. On the other hand, anti‐Stokes Raman scattering was used to determine electron‐phonon scattering time and decay time constant for longitudinal‐optical phonons. In a typical high electron mobility transistor based on GaN/AlN heterostructures, strong resonances were reached for first‐order and second‐order Raman scattering processes. Therefore, both Stokes and anti‐Stokes Raman intensities were dramatically enhanced. The feasibility of laser cooling of a nitride structure has been demonstrated. Anti‐Stokes photoluminescence and Raman scattering have potential applications in upconversion lasers and laser cooling of nitride ultrafast electronic and optoelectronic devices.     

高温AlN插入层对AlGaN/GaN异质结材料和HEMTs器件电学特性的影响

研究了在GaN缓冲层中插入40 nm厚高温AlN层的GaN外延层和AlGaN/GaN异质结材料, AlN插入层可以增加GaN层的面内压应力并提高AlGaN/GaN高电子迁移率晶体管（HEMTs）的电学特性. 在精确测量布拉格衍射角的基础上定量计算了压应力的大小. 增加的压应力一方面通过增强GaN层的压电极化电场, 提高了AlGaN/GaN异质结二维电子气（2DEG）面密度, 另一方面使AlGaN势垒层对2DEG面密度产生的两方面影响相互抵消. 同时, 这种AlN插入层的采用降低了GaN与AlGaN层之间的 关键词： 高温AlN插入层 AlGaN/GaN异质结 二维电子气 应力     

极化诱导实现AlGaN薄膜材料中的超高电子浓度(1020cm-3)掺杂

材料的载流子浓度和迁移率是影响器件性能的关键因素, 变温Hall测试结果证明杂质掺杂AlGaN中的载流子浓度和迁移率随温度 降低而减小.然而极化诱导掺杂的载流子浓度和迁移率不受温度变化的影响.以准绝缘 的GaN体材料作为衬底, 在组分分层渐变的AlGaN中实现的极化诱导掺杂浓度 仅仅在10¹⁷ cm^-3数量级甚至更低. 本研究采用载流子浓度为10¹⁶ cm^-3量级的非有意n型掺杂GaN模板为衬底, 用极化诱导掺杂技术在分子束外延生长的AlGaN薄膜材料中实现了高 达10²⁰ cm^-3 量级的超高电子浓度. 准绝缘的体材GaN半导体作衬底时, 只有表面自由电子作为极化掺杂源, 而非有意掺杂的GaN模板衬底除了提供表面自由电子外,还能为极化电场 提供更多的自由电子"源", 从而实现超高载流子浓度的n型掺杂.     

Study of interface reactions between Ti/Al/Ni/Au metallization and AlGaN/GaN heterostructures

The electrical characteristics, and the range of interface metal-semiconductor reactions of Ti/Al/Ni/Au metallization with AlGaN/GaN heterostructures at various annealing temperatures ranging from 715°C to 865°C, have been investigated. The relation between the depth of the interface solid state reaction and the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the ohmic contact, have been studied. It was observed, that the transition from nonlinear to linear I-V behaviour occurred after the annealing at 805°C. The structural changes in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures beneath the metallic contact after the thermal treatment, were investigated. After removing the metallization by etching, the atomic force microscope profiles and scanning electron microscope images, were studied to define the depth to which the interfacial solid state reactions between the metallization and the semiconductor structure take place. It was observed, that the changes in the heterostructures, caused by the interface m-s reactions, were observed up to a depth of 180 nm at 865°C. In the worst case, this could result in the complete removal of the two-dimensional electron gas under the metallization of the ohmic contacts. To study the influence of the annealing process parameters on the properties of the two-dimensional electron gas, the van der Pauw Hall mobility measurement was performed.     

Electron mobility limited by surface and interface roughness scattering in AlxGa1-xN/GaN quantum wells

The electron mobility limited by the interface and surface roughness scatterings of the two-dimensional electron gas in AlxGa1-xN/GaN quantum wells is studied. The newly proposed surface roughness scattering in the AlGaN/GaN quantum wells becomes effective when an electric field exists in the AlxGa1-xN barrier. For the AlGaN/GaN potential well, the ground subband energy is governed by the spontaneous and the piezoelectric polarization fields which are determined by the barrier and the well thicknesses. The thickness fluctuation of the AlGaN barrier and the GaN well due to the roughnesses cause the local fluctuation of the ground subband energy, which will reduce the 2DEG mobility.     

纤锌矿相GaN空穴输运特性的Monte Carlo模拟研究

用全带多粒子Monte Carlo方法模拟纤锌矿相(Wurtzite)GaN空穴输运特性的结果. 用经验赝势法计算得到能带结构数据. 模拟包含了声学声子散射，光学声子散射，极性光学声子散射，压电散射，电离杂质散射及带间散射等散射机理. 计算得到了空穴沿3个主要对称方向上的空穴平均漂移速度和平均能量与电场强度的关系曲线，室温下漂移速度呈现饱和特性. 在所研究的电场范围内，最大平均漂移速度约为6×10⁶cm s^-1，最大空穴平均能量约为0.12eV, 这些值均比电子的相应参数低很多. 还给出了空穴的扩散迁移率与杂质浓度关系的模拟结果. 关键词： 蒙特卡罗 氮化镓 输运特性 能带结构     

High temperature electron transport properties of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures with different Al-contents

Electron transport properties in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures with different Al-contents have been investigated from room temperature up to 680 K. The temperature dependencies of electron mobility have been systematically measured for the samples. The electron mobility at 680 K were measured as 154 and 182 cm²/V·s for Al_0.15Ga_0.85N/GaN and Al_0.40Ga_0.60N/GaN heterostructures, respectively. It was found that the electron mobility of low Al-content Al_0.15Ga_0.85N/GaN heterostructure was less than that of high Al-content Al_0.40Ga_0.60N/GaN heterostructure at high temperature of 680 K, which is different from that at room temperature. Detailed analysis showed that electron occupations in the first subband were 75% and 82% at 700 K for Al_0.15Ga_0.85N/GaN and Al_0.40Ga_0.60N/GaN heterostructures, respectively, and the two dimensional gas (2DEG) ratios in the whole electron system were 30% and near 60%, respectively. That indicated the 2DEG was better confined in the well, and was still dominant in the whole electron system for higher Al-content AlGaN/GaN heterostructure at 700 K, while lower one was not. Thus it had a higher electron mobility. So a higher Al-content AlGaN/GaN heterostructure is more suitable for high-temperature applications.