Investigating the Current Collapse Mechanisms of p-GaN Gate HEMTs by Different Passivation Dielectrics
Xiangdong Li, Niels Posthuma, Benoit Bakeroot, Hu Liang, Shuzhen You, Zhicheng Wu, Ming Zhao, G. Groeseneken, Stefaan Decoutere
Abstract
In this letter, the dynamic R <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">on</sub> degradation mechanisms of the p-GaN gate HEMTs induced by off-state stress are investigated with different passivation dielectrics AlON and SiN. The degradation mechanisms are twofold, including V <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">TH</sub> shift and surface trapping in the gate-to-drain access region, whose impacts are successfully distinguished. Surface trapping by SiN passivation is evidently proved to be the dominant factor that can almost induce a full current collapse. The V <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">TH</sub> positive shift diminishes the drain current by shrinking the overdrive V <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">GS</sub> , which however, can be compensated by a higher V <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">GS</sub> overdrive in applications. SiN passivation can effectively suppress the positive bias temperature instability effect, probably by passivating the p-GaN fast traps with hydrogen during passivation. Last, the transient measurements unveil that both the surface trapping and V <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">TH</sub> shift have a very slow recovery process.