Polarization-induced Zener tunnel diodes in GaN/InGaN/GaN heterojunctions

Journal Article · Mon Oct 19 04:00:00 EDT 2015 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4934269· OSTI ID:22485953

Yan, Xiaodong; Li, Wenjun; Islam, S. M.; Pourang, Kasra; Fay, Patrick ^[1]; Xing, Huili; Jena, Debdeep ^[1]

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1. Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 (United States)

By the insertion of thin In{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}N layers into Nitrogen-polar GaN p-n junctions, polarization-induced Zener tunnel junctions are studied. The reverse-bias interband Zener tunneling current is found to be weakly temperature dependent, as opposed to the strongly temperature-dependent forward bias current. This indicates tunneling as the primary reverse-bias current transport mechanism. The Indium composition in the InGaN layer is systematically varied to demonstrate the increase in the interband tunneling current. Comparing the experimentally measured tunneling currents to a model helps identify the specific challenges in potentially taking such junctions towards nitride-based polarization-induced tunneling field-effect transistors.

• OSTI ID: 22485953
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 16 Vol. 107; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CURRENTS
FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS
GALLIUM NITRIDES
HETEROJUNCTIONS
P-N JUNCTIONS
POLARIZATION
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TUNNEL DIODES
TUNNEL EFFECT