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Effect of proton irradiation on AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor off-state drain breakdown voltage

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4866858· OSTI ID:22293056
; ; ;  [1];  [2]; ;  [3];  [4]
  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 (United States)
  2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 (United States)
  3. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 (United States)
  4. Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287 (United States)

The effect of proton irradiation on the off-state drain breakdown voltage of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) grown on Si substrates was studied by irradiating protons from the backside of the samples through via holes fabricated directly under the active area of the HEMTs. There was no degradation of drain current nor enhancement of off-state drain voltage breakdown voltage observed for HEMTs irradiated with 275 keV protons, for which the defects created by the proton irradiation were intentionally placed in the GaN buffer. HEMTs with defects positioned in the 2 dimensional electron gas channel region and AlGaN barrier using 330 keV protons not only showed degradation of both drain current and extrinsic transconductance but also exhibited an improvement of the off-state drain breakdown voltage. Finite-element simulations showed the enhancement of the latter were due to a reduction in electric field strength at the gate edges by introduction of charged defects.

OSTI ID:
22293056
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 104; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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