Design and Simulation of High Performance Lattice Matched Double Barrier Normally Off AlInGaN/GaN HEMTs
Niraj Man Shrestha, Yiming Li, Chao-Hsuan Chen, Indraneel Sanyal, Jenn-Hawn Tarng, Jen‐Inn Chyi, Seiji Samukawa
Abstract
A novel lattice matched double barrier Al <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0.72</sub> In <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0.16</sub> Ga <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0.12</sub> N/Al <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0.18</sub> In <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0.04</sub> Ga <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0.78</sub> N/GaN normally-off high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) is designed and simulated by solving a set of thermodynamic transport equations. Using the experimentally calibrated physical models with bearing mobility degradation by surface roughness in account, the recess gate and double barrier of the proposed device achieves a maximum drain current density ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I_{D,max}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ) of 1149 mA/mm and a maximum transconductance ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$g_{m,max}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ) of 358 mS/mm with a positive threshold voltage ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{th}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ) of 0.2 V. The small polarization charge of first barrier is responsible for positive <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{th}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> . <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I_{DS,max}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> in the double barrier HEMT at high gate bias condition is due to injection of electrons from upper 2DEG which is almost impossible at lower gate voltage because of insufficient energy to cross the barrier. The injection of electrons is further supported by the second peak in the <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{g}_{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> curve at low gate bias <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{G} = 1\text{V}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> . The outcome of this study suggests that the proposed device will be beneficial for high-frequency and high-power electronic applications.