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Title: On the redox origin of surface trapping in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

Abstract

Water-related redox couples in ambient air are identified as an important source of the surface trapping states, dynamic on-resistance, and drain current collapse in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). Through in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), direct signature of the water-related species—hydroxyl groups (OH) was found at the AlGaN surface at room temperature. It was also found that these species, as well as the current collapse, can be thermally removed above 200 °C in vacuum conditions. An electron trapping mechanism based on the H{sub 2}O/H{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O/O{sub 2} redox couples is proposed to explain the 0.5 eV energy level commonly attributed to the surface trapping states. Finally, the role of silicon nitride passivation in successfully removing current collapse in these devices is explained by blocking the water molecules away from the AlGaN surface.

Authors:
 [1]; ; ;  [2];  [1]
  1. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)
  2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22271143
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 115; Journal Issue: 12; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS; CHANNELING; ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY; ELECTRON MOBILITY; ELECTRONS; ENERGY LEVELS; GALLIUM NITRIDES; HETEROJUNCTIONS; INTERFACES; SILICON NITRIDES; SURFACES; TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K; TRANSISTORS; TRAPPING; WATER; X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY

Citation Formats

Gao, Feng, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, Chen, Di, Tuller, Harry L., Thompson, Carl V., and Palacios, Tomás. On the redox origin of surface trapping in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4869738.
Gao, Feng, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, Chen, Di, Tuller, Harry L., Thompson, Carl V., & Palacios, Tomás. On the redox origin of surface trapping in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4869738
Gao, Feng, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, Chen, Di, Tuller, Harry L., Thompson, Carl V., and Palacios, Tomás. 2014. "On the redox origin of surface trapping in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4869738.
@article{osti_22271143,
title = {On the redox origin of surface trapping in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors},
author = {Gao, Feng and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 and Chen, Di and Tuller, Harry L. and Thompson, Carl V. and Palacios, Tomás},
abstractNote = {Water-related redox couples in ambient air are identified as an important source of the surface trapping states, dynamic on-resistance, and drain current collapse in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). Through in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), direct signature of the water-related species—hydroxyl groups (OH) was found at the AlGaN surface at room temperature. It was also found that these species, as well as the current collapse, can be thermally removed above 200 °C in vacuum conditions. An electron trapping mechanism based on the H{sub 2}O/H{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O/O{sub 2} redox couples is proposed to explain the 0.5 eV energy level commonly attributed to the surface trapping states. Finally, the role of silicon nitride passivation in successfully removing current collapse in these devices is explained by blocking the water molecules away from the AlGaN surface.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4869738},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22271143}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
issn = {0021-8979},
number = 12,
volume = 115,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Mar 28 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Fri Mar 28 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}