Enhanced breakdown voltage and dynamic performance of GaN HEMTs with AlN/GaN superlattice buffer
Xin Chen, Yaozong Zhong, Shumeng Yan, Xiaolu Guo, Hongwei Gao, Xiujian Sun, Haodong Wang, Fangqing Li, Yu Zhou, Meixin Feng, Ercan Yılmaz, Qian Sun, Yang Hui
Abstract
Abstract The characteristics of an AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor buffer structure are studied and optimized by employing an AlN/GaN superlattice (SL) structure. Through vertical leakage analysis and back-gate measurement, combined with Silvaco-TCAD simulation, the influence of buffer trapson the carrier transport behaviors and electrical performance for SL buffer structures under a high electric field is analyzed. The AlN/GaN SL buffer structures are further optimized with various AlN/GaN thickness ratios and their total thickness through both simulation and experimental studies. As a result, a high breakdown voltage of up to 1.3 kV with a maximum breakdown electric field of 2.8 MV cm −1 has been achieved. Moreover, the buffer trapping effect is dramatically suppressed, leading to a minimum drop of channel current for the optimized sample, in which donor traps are found to play a positive role in the device dynamic characteristics.