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Effects of electron-irradiation on electrical properties of AlGaN/GaN Schottky barrier diodes

Journal Article · · Journal of Applied Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3151952· OSTI ID:21352260
; ;  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Semiconductor Research Center, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio 45435 (United States) and Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433 (United States)
  2. Department of Physics, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio 45435 (United States)
  3. Aerospace and Defense, RF Micro Devices, Charlotte, North Carolina 28269 (United States)

Effects of 1 MeV electron-irradiation at room temperature on the electrical properties of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures, including leakage currents, threshold voltages, and electron traps, have been investigated using Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) fabricated on the AlGaN. The SBDs, before and after the irradiation with a dose of 5x10{sup 15} cm{sup -2}, were characterized by temperature dependent current-voltage and capacitance-voltage measurements and deep level transient spectroscopy. It is found that the irradiation causes (i) significant increase in leakage currents, dominated by tunneling conduction, at both reverse and low-forward biases; (ii) a clear negative shift in threshold voltage in the pinch-off region; and (iii) creation of traps A{sub e}(approx1.1 eV) or A{sub 2}(1.2 eV) and E{sub e}(0.09 eV) in the GaN buffer and AlGaN regions. The irradiation-induced traps can be used to account for the increase in leakage currents and shift in threshold voltage. However, as compared to traps A{sub 2}(1.2 eV) and E(0.13 eV) induced in thick GaN layers by electron-irradiation, the irradiation-induced traps in the AlGaN/GaN heterostructures show some changes in activation energy and electron capture behavior.

OSTI ID:
21352260
Journal Information:
Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 105; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English