Investigation on threshold voltage of p-channel GaN MOSFETs based on p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN heterostructure

The threshold voltage (V_th) of the p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) is investigated via Silvaco-Atlas simulations. The main factors which influence the threshold voltage of p-channel GaN MOSFETs are barrier height Φ_1,p, polarization charge density σ_b, and equivalent unite capacitance C_oc. It is found that the thinner thickness of p-GaN layer and oxide layer will acquire the more negative threshold voltage V_th, and threshold voltage |V_th| increases with the reduction in p-GaN doping concentration and the work-function of gate metal. Meanwhile, the increase in gate dielectric relative permittivity may cause the increase in threshold voltage |V_th|. Additionally, the parameter influencing output current most is the p-GaN doping concentration, and the maximum current density is 9.5 mA/mm with p-type doping concentration of 9.5×10¹⁶ cm^-3 at V_GS = -12 V and V_DS = -10 V.     

基于原位等离子体氮化及低压化学气相沉积-Si_3N_4栅介质的高性能AlGaN/GaN MIS-HEMTs器件的研究

通过对低压化学气相沉积(LPCVD)系统进行改造,实现在沉积Si_3N_4薄膜前的原位等离子体氮化处理,氮等离子体可以有效地降低器件界面处的氧含量和悬挂键,从而获得了较低的LPCVD-Si_3N_4/GaN界面态,通过这种技术制作的MIS-HEMTs器件,在扫描栅压范围V_(G-sweep)=(-30 V,+24 V)时,阈值回滞为186 mV,据我们所知为目前高扫描栅压V_(G+)(20 V)下的最好结果.动态测试表明,在400 V关态应力下,器件的导通电阻仅仅上升1.36倍(关态到开态的时间间隔为100μs).     

氮化镓基感光栅极高电子迁移率晶体管器件设计与制备

GaN基高电子迁移率晶体管(HEMT)作为栅控器件,具有AlGaN/GaN异质结处高浓度的二维电子气(2DEG)及对表面态敏感等特性,在栅位置处与感光功能薄膜的结合是光探测器领域重要的研究方向之一.本文首先提出在GaN基HEMT栅电极上引入光敏材料锆钛酸铅(PZT),将具有光伏效应的铁电薄膜PZT与HEMT栅极结合,提出一种新的"金属/铁电薄膜/金属/半导体(M/F/M/S)"结构;然后在以蓝宝石为衬底的AlGaN/GaN外延片上制备感光栅极HEMT器件.最后,通过PZT的光伏效应来调控沟道中的载流子浓度和通过源漏电流的变化来实现对可见光和紫外光的探测.在365 nm紫外光和普通可见光条件下,对比测试有/无感光栅极的HEMT器件,在较小V_(gs)电压时,可见光下测得前者较后者的饱和漏源电流I_(ds)的增幅不下降,紫外光下前者较后者的I_(ds)增幅大5.2 mA,由此可知,感光栅PZT在可见光及紫外光下可作用于栅极GaN基HEMT器件并可调控沟道电流.     

High linearity AlGaN/GaN HEMT with double-Vth coupling for millimeter-wave applications

We demonstrated an AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor(HEMT)namely double-Vthcoupling HEMT(DVC-HEMT)fabricated by connecting different threshold voltage(Vth)values including the slant recess element and planar element in parallel along the gate width with N;O plasma treatment on the gate region.The comparative studies of DVC-HEMT and Fin-like HEMT fabricated on the same wafer show significantly improved linearity of transconductance(Gm)and radio frequency(RF)output signal characteristics in DVC-HEMT.The fabricated device shows the transconductance plateau larger than 7 V,which yields a flattened fT/fmax-gate bias dependence.At the operating frequency of 30 GHz,the peak power-added efficiency(PAE)of 41%accompanied by the power density(Pout)of 5.3 W/mm.Furthermore,the proposed architecture also features an exceptional linearity performance with 1-d B compression point(P1 d B)of 28 d Bm,whereas that of the Fin-like HEMT is 25.2 d Bm.The device demonstrated in this article has great potential to be a new paradigm for millimeter-wave application where high linearity is essential.     

Migration of weakly bonded oxygen atoms in a-IGZO thin films and the positive shift of threshold voltage in TFTs

Amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin films are prepared by pulsed laser deposition and fabricated into thin-film transistor (TFT) devices. In-situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) illustrates that weakly bonded oxygen (O) atoms exist in a-IGZO thin films deposited at high O₂ pressures, but these can be eliminated by vacuum annealing. The threshold voltage (V_th) of the a-IGZO TFTs is shifted under positive gate bias, and the V_th shift is positively related to the deposition pressure. A temperature variation experiment in the range of 20 K-300 K demonstrates that an activation energy of 144 meV is required for the V_th shift, which is close to the activation energy required for the migration of weakly bonded O atoms in a-IGZO thin films. Accordingly, the V_th shift is attributed to the acceptor-like states induced by the accumulation of weakly bonded O atoms at the a-IGZO/SiO₂ interface under positive gate bias. These results provide an insight into the mechanism responsible for the V_th shift of the a-IGZO TFTs and help in the production of reliable designs.     

阶梯AlGaN外延新型Al0.25Ga0.75N/GaNHEMTs器件实验研究

本文报道了作者提出的阶梯AlGaN外延层新型AlGaN/GaN HEMTs结构的实验结果. 实验利用感应耦合等离子体刻蚀(ICP)刻蚀栅边缘的AlGaN外延层, 形成阶梯的AlGaN 外延层结构, 获得浓度分区的沟道2DEG, 使得阶梯AlGaN外延层边缘出现新的电场峰, 有效降低栅边缘的高峰电场, 从而优化了AlGaN/GaN HEMTs器件的表面电场分布. 实验获得了阈值电压-1.5 V的新型AlGaN/GaN HEMTs器件. 经过测试, 同样面积的器件击穿电压从传统结构的67 V提高到新结构的106 V, 提高了58%左右; 脉冲测试下电流崩塌量也比传统结构减少了30%左右, 电流崩塌效应得到了一定的缓解.     

AlGaN/GaN MIS-HEMT using NbAlO dielectric layer grown by atomic layer deposition

We present an AlGaN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor high electron mobility transistor (MIS-HEMT) with an NbAlO high-k dielectric deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD).Surface morphology of samples are observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM),indicating that the ALD NbAlO has an excellent-property surface.Moreover,the sharp transition from depletion to accumulation in capacitance-voltage (C-V)curse of MIS-HEMT demonstrates the high quality bulk and interface properties of NbAlO on AlGaN.The fabricated MIS-HEMT with a gate length of 0.5 μm exhibits a maximum drain current of 960 mA/mm,and the reverse gate leakage current is almost 3 orders of magnitude lower than that of reference HEMT.Based on the improved direct-current operation,the NbAlO can be considered to be a potential gate oxide comparable to other dielectric insulators.     

Random telegraph noise on the threshold voltage of multi-level flash memory

We investigate the impact of random telegraph noise (RTN) on the threshold voltage of multi-level NOR flash memory. It is found that the threshold voltage variation (ΔV_th) and the distribution due to RTN increase with the programmed level (V_th) of flash cells. The gate voltage dependence of RTN amplitude and the variability of RTN time constants suggest that the large RTN amplitude and distribution at the high program level is attributed to the charge trapping in the tunneling oxide layer induced by the high programming voltages. A three-dimensional TCAD simulation based on a percolation path model further reveals the contribution of those trapped charges to the threshold voltage variation and distribution in flash memory.     

开态应力下电压和电流对AlGaN/GaN高电子迁移率晶体管的退化作用研究

通过采集等功率的两种不同开态直流应力作用下AlGaN/GaN高电子迁移率晶体管(HEMTs)漏源电流输出特性、源区和漏区大信号寄生电阻、转移特性、阈值电压随应力时间的变化, 并使用光发射显微镜观察器件漏电流情况, 研究了开态应力下电压和电流对AlGaN/GaN高电子迁移率晶体管的退化作用. 结果表明, 低电压大电流应力下器件退化很少, 高电压大电流下器件退化较明显. 高电压是HEMTs退化的主要因素, 栅漏之间高电场引起的逆压电效应对参数的永久性退化起决定性作用. 除此之外, 器件表面损坏部位的显微图像表明低电压大电流下器件失效是由于局部电流密度过高, 出现热斑导致器件损伤引起的.     

Investigation of passivation effects in AlGaN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor high electron-mobility transistor by gate-drain conductance dispersion study

This paper studies the drain current collapse of AlGaN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor high electron-mobility transistors (MIS-HEMTs) with NbAlO dielectric by applying dual-pulsed stress to the gate and drain of the device.For NbAlO MIS-HEMT,smaller current collapse is found,especially when the gate static voltage is 8 V.Through a thorough study of the gate-drain conductance dispersion,it is found that the growth of NbAlO can reduce the trap density of the AlGaN surface.Therefore,fewer traps can be filled by gate electrons,and hence the depletion effect in the channel is suppressed effectively.It is proved that the NbAlO gate dielectric can not only decrease gate leakage current but also passivate the AlGaN surface effectively,and weaken the current collapse effect accordingly.     

Effect of gate length on breakdown voltage in AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor

The effects of gate length L_G on breakdown voltage VBRare investigated in AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors(HEMTs) with L_G= 1 μm~20 μm. With the increase of L_G, VBRis first increased, and then saturated at LG= 3 μm. For the HEMT with L_G= 1 μm, breakdown voltage VBRis 117 V, and it can be enhanced to 148 V for the HEMT with L-_G= 3 μm. The gate length of 3 μm can alleviate the buffer-leakage-induced impact ionization compared with the gate length of 1 μm, and the suppression of the impact ionization is the reason for improving the breakdown voltage.A similar suppression of the impact ionization exists in the HEMTs with LG 3 μm. As a result, there is no obvious difference in breakdown voltage among the HEMTs with LG= 3 μm~20 μm, and their breakdown voltages are in a range of 140 V–156 V.     

具有部分本征GaN帽层新型AlGaN/GaN高电子迁移率晶体管特性分析

为了优化传统Al GaN/GaN高电子迁移率晶体管(high electron mobility transistors,HEMTs)器件的表面电场,提高击穿电压,本文提出了一种具有部分本征GaN帽层的新型Al GaN/GaN HEMTs器件结构.新型结构通过在Al GaN势垒层顶部、栅电极到漏电极的漂移区之间引入部分本征GaN帽层,由于本征GaN帽层和Al GaN势垒层界面处的极化效应,降低了沟道二维电子气(two dimensional electron gas,2DEG)的浓度,形成了栅边缘低浓度2DEG区域,使得沟道2DEG浓度分区,由均匀分布变为阶梯分布.通过调制沟道2DEG的浓度分布,从而调制了Al GaN/GaN HEMTs器件的表面电场.利用电场调制效应,产生了新的电场峰,且有效降低了栅边缘的高峰电场,Al GaN/GaN HEMTs器件的表面电场分布更加均匀.利用ISE-TCAD软件仿真分析得出:通过设计一定厚度和长度的本征GaN帽层,Al GaN/GaN HEMTs器件的击穿电压从传统结构的427 V提高到新型结构的960 V.由于沟道2DEG浓度减小,沟道电阻增加,使得新型Al GaN/GaN HEMTs器件的最大输出电流减小了9.2%,截止频率几乎保持不变,而最大振荡频率提高了12%.     

High power-added-efficiency AlGaN/GaN HEMTs fabricated by atomic level controlled etching

An atomic-level controlled etching(ACE)technology is invstigated for the fabrication of recessed gate AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors(HEMTs)with high power added efficiency.We compare the recessed gate HEMTs with conventional etching(CE)based chlorine,Cl₂-only ACE and BCl³/Cl₂ACE,respectively.The mixed radicals of BCl₃/Cl₂were used as the active reactants in the step of chemical modification.For ensuring precise and controllable etching depth and low etching damage,the kinetic energy of argon ions was accurately controlled.These argon ions were used precisely to remove the chemical modified surface atomic layer.Compared to the HEMTs with CE,the characteristics of devices fabricated by ACE are significantly improved,which benefits from significant reduction of etching damage.For BCl₃/Cl₂ACE recessed HEMTs,the load pull test at 17 GHz shows a high power added efficiency(PAE)of 59.8%with an output power density of 1.6 W/mm at Vd=10 V,and a peak PAE of 44.8%with an output power density of 3.2 W/mm at Vd=20 V in a continuous-wave mode.     

Different influences of Schottky metal on the strain and relative permittivity of barrier layer between AlN/GaN and AlGaN/GaN heterostructure Schottky diodes

Ni/Au Schottky contacts on AlN/GaN and AlGaN/GaN heterostructures are fabricated.Based on the measured current–voltage and capacitance-voltage curves,the polarization sheet charge density and relative permittivity are analyzed and calculated by self-consistently solving Schrdinger’s and Poisson’s equations.It is found that the values of relative permittivity and polarization sheet charge density of AlN/GaN diode are both much smaller than the ones of AlGaN/GaN diode,and also much lower than the theoretical values.Moreover,by fitting the measured forward I–V curves,the extracted dislocations existing in the barrier layer of the AlN/GaN diode are found to be much more than those of the AlGaN/GaN diode.As a result,the conclusion can be made that compared with AlGaN/GaN diode the Schottky metal has an enhanced influence on the strain of the extremely thinner AlN barrier layer,which is attributed to the more dislocations.     

AlGaN/GaN 高电子迁移率晶体管漏电流退化机理研究

本文首先制备了与AlGaN/GaN高电子迁移率晶体管 (HEMT) 结构与特性等效的AlGaN/GaN异质结肖特基二极管, 采用步进应力测试比较了不同栅压下器件漏电流的变化情况, 然后基于电流-电压和电容-电压测试验证了退化前后漏电流的传输机理, 并使用失效分析技术光发射显微镜 (EMMI) 观测器件表面的光发射, 研究了漏电流的时间依赖退化机理. 实验结果表明: 在栅压高于某临界值后, 器件漏电流随时间开始增加, 同时伴有较大的噪声. 将极化电场引入电流与电场的依赖关系后, 器件退化前后的 log(I_FT/E)与√E 都遵循良好的线性关系, 表明漏电流均由电子Frenkel-Poole (FP) 发射主导. 退化后 log(I_FT/E)与√E 曲线斜率的减小, 以及利用EMMI在栅边缘直接观察到了与缺陷存在对应关系的“热点”, 证明了漏电流退化的机理是: 高电场在AlGaN层中诱发了新的缺陷, 而缺陷密度的增加导致了FP发射电流I_FT的增加. 关键词： AlGaN/GaN 高电子迁移率晶体管 漏电流 退化机理     

A simple method of extracting the polarization charge density in the A1GaN/GaN heterostructure from current-voltage and capacitance-voltage characteristics

An Ni Schottky contact on the AlGaN/GaN heterostructure is fabricated. The flat-band voltage for the Schottky contact on the AlGaN/GaN heterostructure is obtained from the forward current-voltage characteristics. With the measured capacitance-voltage curve and the flat-band voltage, the polarization charge density in the AlGaN/GaN heterostructure is investigated, and a simple formula for calculating the polarization charge density is obtained and analyzed. With the approach described in this paper, the obtained polarization charge density agrees well with the one calculated by self-consistently solving Schrodinger’s and Poisson’s equations.     

Normally-off AlGaN/GaN heterojunction field-effect transistors with in-situ AlN gate insulator

AlGaN/GaN heterojunction field-effect transistors (HFETs) with p-GaN cap layer are developed for normally-off operation, in which an in-situ grown AlN layer is utilized as the gate insulator. Compared with the SiN_x gate insulator, the AlN/p-GaN interface presents a more obvious energy band bending and a wider depletion region, which helps to positively shift the threshold voltage. In addition, the relatively large conduction band offset of AlN/p-GaN is beneficial to suppress the gate leakage current and enhance the gate breakdown voltage. Owing to the introduction of AlN layer, normally-off p-GaN capped AlGaN/GaN HFET with a threshold voltage of 4 V and a gate swing of 13 V is realized. Furthermore, the field-effect mobility is approximately 1500 cm²·V^-1·s^-1 in the 2DEG channel, implying a good device performance.     

Electron mobility in the linear region of an AlGaN/AlN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistor

We simulate the current-voltage （I-V） characteristics of AlGaN/AlN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors （HFETs） with different gate lengths using the quasi-two-dimensional （quasi-2D） model. The calculation results obtained using the modified mobility model are found to accord well with the experimental data. By analyzing the variation of the electron mobility for the two-dimensional electron gas （213EG） with the electric field in the linear region of the AlGaN/AlN/GaN HFET I-V output characteristics, it is found that the polarization Coulomb field scattering still plays an important role in the electron mobility of AlGaN/AlN/GaN HFETs at the higher drain voltage and channel electric field. As drain voltage and channel electric field increase, the 2DEG density reduces and the polarization Coulomb field scattering increases, as a result, the 2DEG electron mobility decreases.     

1000 V p-GaN混合阳极AlGaN/GaN二极管

GaN材料具有优异的电学特性,如大的禁带宽度(3.4 eV)、高击穿场强(3.3 MV/cm)和高电子迁移率(600 cm~2/(V·s)). AlGaN/GaN异质结由于压电极化和自发极化效应,产生高密度(1×10~(13)cm~(-2))和高迁移率(2000 cm~2/(V·s))的二维电子气(2DEG),在未来的功率系统中, AlGaN/GaN二极管具有极大的应用前景.二极管的开启电压和击穿电压是影响其损耗和功率处理能力的关键参数,本文提出了一种新型的具有高阻盖帽层(high-resistance-cap-layer, HRCL)的p-GaN混合阳极AlGaN/GaN二极管来优化其开启电压和击穿特性.在p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN材料结构基础上,通过自对准的氢等离子体处理技术,在沟道区域形成高阻盖帽层改善电场分布,提高击穿电压,同时在阳极区域保留p-GaN结构,用于耗尽下方的二维电子气,调控开启电压.制备的p-GaN混合阳极(p-GaN HRCL)二极管在阴阳极间距Lac为10μm时,击穿电压大于1 kV,开启电压+1.2 V.实验结果表明, p-GaN混合阳极和高阻GaN盖帽层的引入,有效改善AlGaN/GaN肖特基势垒二极管电学性能.     

AlGaN表面坑状缺陷及GaN缓冲层位错缺陷对AlGaN/GaN HEMT电流崩塌效应的影响

利用金属有机气相外延(MOVPE)技术生长了具有不同AlGaN表面坑状缺陷和GaN缓冲层位错缺陷密度的AlGaN/GaN 高电子迁移率晶体管(HEMT)样品,并对比研究了两种缺陷对器件栅、漏延迟电流崩塌效应的影响.栅延迟测试表明,AlGaN表面坑状缺陷会引起栅延迟电流崩塌效应和源漏电阻的增加,而且表面坑状缺陷越多,栅延迟电流崩塌程度和源漏电阻的增加越明显.漏延迟测试显示,AlGaN表面坑状缺陷对漏延迟电流崩塌影响不大,而GaN缓冲层位错缺陷主要影响漏延迟电流崩塌.研究结果表明,AlGaN表面坑状缺陷和Ga 关键词： AlGaN/GaN HEMT 电流崩塌 坑状缺陷 位错缺陷