Neutron irradiation effects on electrical properties and deep-level spectra in undoped n-AlGaN/GaN heterostructures

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2005 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2006223· OSTI ID:20714020

Polyakov, A Y; Smirnov, N B; Govorkov, A V; Markov, A V; Pearton, S J; Kolin, N G; Merkurisov, D I; Boiko, V M ^[1]

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1. Institute of Rare Metals, B. Tolmachevsky 5, Moscow 119017 (Russian Federation)

The effect of neutron irradiation on the electrical properties of undoped n-AlGaN/GaN heterostructures is reported. The two-dimensional electron-gas (2DEG) mobility starts to decrease at neutron doses above 10{sup 14} cm{sup -2}, while the 2DEG concentration slightly increases at low doses and decreases dramatically for doses higher than 2.5x10{sup 16} cm{sup -2}. The result is that the mobility/concentration product (a figure of merit for transistors) starts to decrease appreciably after the dose of 10{sup 15} cm{sup -2}. Capacitance-voltage and admittance spectroscopies, indicate that tunneling of electrons into the states near E{sub c}-0.21 eV in AlGaN is a serious factor when cooling down the virgin or lightly irradiated samples. For heavily irradiated samples the states in AlGaN are close to 0.3 and 0.45 eV, respectively, from the bottom of the conduction band. Deep-level spectroscopy measurements reveal the presence of hole traps with apparent activation energies of 0.18 and 0.21 eV for lightly irradiated samples and deeper hole traps with activation energies of 0.6 and 1 eV in heavily irradiated samples.

• OSTI ID: 20714020
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 98, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2006223; (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ACTIVATION ENERGY
ALUMINIUM NITRIDES
CAPACITANCE
COOLING
DEEP LEVEL TRANSIENT SPECTROSCOPY
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRON GAS
ELECTRON MOBILITY
GALLIUM NITRIDES
HETEROJUNCTIONS
HOLES
IRRADIATION
NEUTRON BEAMS
PERFORMANCE
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SPECTRA
TRANSISTORS
TUNNEL EFFECT
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS