Toward AlGaN channel HEMTs on AlN: Polarization-induced 2DEGs in AlN/AlGaN/AlN heterostructures

Singhal, Jashan; Chaudhuri, Reet; Hickman, Austin; Protasenko, Vladimir; Xing, Huili Grace; Jena, Debdeep

doi:10.1063/5.0121195

Title: Toward AlGaN channel HEMTs on AlN: Polarization-induced 2DEGs in AlN/AlGaN/AlN heterostructures

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · APL Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0121195· OSTI ID:1899637

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^[1]; Hickman, Austin ^[1]; Protasenko, Vladimir ^[1];

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School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA, Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA

Due to its high breakdown electric field, the ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor AlGaN has garnered much attention recently as a promising channel material for next-generation high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). A comprehensive experimental study of the effects of Al composition x on the transport and structural properties is lacking. We report the charge control and transport properties of polarization-induced 2D electron gases (2DEGs) in strained AlGaN quantum well channels in molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown AlN/Al _x Ga _{1− x} N/AlN double heterostructures by systematically varying the Al content from x = 0 (GaN) to x = 0.74, spanning energy bandgaps of the conducting HEMT channels from 3.49 to 4.9 eV measured by photoluminescence. This results in a tunable 2DEG density from 0 to 3.7 × 10 ¹³ cm ² . The room temperature mobilities of x ≥ 0.25 AlGaN channel HEMTs were limited by alloy disorder scattering to below 50 cm ² /(V.s) for these 2DEG densities, leaving ample room for further heterostructure design improvements to boost mobilities. A characteristic alloy fluctuation energy of [Formula: see text] eV for electron scattering in AlGaN alloy is estimated based on the temperature dependent electron transport experiments.

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0021230

OSTI ID:: 1899637

Journal Information:: APL Materials, Journal Name: APL Materials Vol. 10 Journal Issue: 11; ISSN 2166-532X

Publisher:: American Institute of PhysicsCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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