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Title: Identification of the primary compensating defect level responsible for determining blocking voltage of vertical GaN power diodes

Abstract

Electrical performance and characterization of deep levels in vertical GaN P-i-N diodes grown on low threading dislocation density (~104 –106 cm–2) bulk GaN substrates are investigated. The lightly doped n drift region of these devices is observed to be highly compensated by several prominent deep levels detected using deep level optical spectroscopy at Ec-2.13, 2.92, and 3.2 eV. A combination of steady-state photocapacitance and lighted capacitance-voltage profiling indicates the concentrations of these deep levels to be Nt = 3 × 1012, 2 × 1015, and 5 × 1014 cm–3, respectively. The Ec-2.92 eV level is observed to be the primary compensating defect in as-grown n-type metal-organic chemical vapor deposition GaN, indicating this level acts as a limiting factor for achieving controllably low doping. The device blocking voltage should increase if compensating defects reduce the free carrier concentration of the n drift region. Understanding the incorporation of as-grown and native defects in thick n-GaN is essential for enabling large VBD in the next-generation wide-bandgap power semiconductor devices. Furthermore, controlling the as-grown defects induced by epitaxial growth conditions is critical to achieve blocking voltage capability above 5 kV.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [3];  [1]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  2. Avogy, Inc., San Jose, CA (United States); U.S. Dept. of Energy, Washington, D.C. (United States). Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)
  3. Avogy, Inc., San Jose, CA (United States); Quora Technology, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1335469
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1330589
Report Number(s):
SAND-2016-3994J
Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951; APPLAB; 638999
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Applied Physics Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 109; Journal Issue: 18; Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY

Citation Formats

King, M. P., Kaplar, R. J., Dickerson, J. R., Lee, S. R., Allerman, A. A., Crawford, M. H., Fischer, A. J., Marinella, M. J., Flicker, J. D., Fleming, R. M., Kizilyalli, I. C., Aktas, O., and Armstrong, A. M. Identification of the primary compensating defect level responsible for determining blocking voltage of vertical GaN power diodes. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4966903.
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King, M. P., Kaplar, R. J., Dickerson, J. R., Lee, S. R., Allerman, A. A., Crawford, M. H., Fischer, A. J., Marinella, M. J., Flicker, J. D., Fleming, R. M., Kizilyalli, I. C., Aktas, O., & Armstrong, A. M. Identification of the primary compensating defect level responsible for determining blocking voltage of vertical GaN power diodes. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4966903
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King, M. P., Kaplar, R. J., Dickerson, J. R., Lee, S. R., Allerman, A. A., Crawford, M. H., Fischer, A. J., Marinella, M. J., Flicker, J. D., Fleming, R. M., Kizilyalli, I. C., Aktas, O., and Armstrong, A. M. Mon . "Identification of the primary compensating defect level responsible for determining blocking voltage of vertical GaN power diodes". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4966903. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1335469.
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@article{osti_1335469,
title = {Identification of the primary compensating defect level responsible for determining blocking voltage of vertical GaN power diodes},
author = {King, M. P. and Kaplar, R. J. and Dickerson, J. R. and Lee, S. R. and Allerman, A. A. and Crawford, M. H. and Fischer, A. J. and Marinella, M. J. and Flicker, J. D. and Fleming, R. M. and Kizilyalli, I. C. and Aktas, O. and Armstrong, A. M.},
abstractNote = {Electrical performance and characterization of deep levels in vertical GaN P-i-N diodes grown on low threading dislocation density (~104 –106 cm–2) bulk GaN substrates are investigated. The lightly doped n drift region of these devices is observed to be highly compensated by several prominent deep levels detected using deep level optical spectroscopy at Ec-2.13, 2.92, and 3.2 eV. A combination of steady-state photocapacitance and lighted capacitance-voltage profiling indicates the concentrations of these deep levels to be Nt = 3 × 1012, 2 × 1015, and 5 × 1014 cm–3, respectively. The Ec-2.92 eV level is observed to be the primary compensating defect in as-grown n-type metal-organic chemical vapor deposition GaN, indicating this level acts as a limiting factor for achieving controllably low doping. The device blocking voltage should increase if compensating defects reduce the free carrier concentration of the n drift region. Understanding the incorporation of as-grown and native defects in thick n-GaN is essential for enabling large VBD in the next-generation wide-bandgap power semiconductor devices. Furthermore, controlling the as-grown defects induced by epitaxial growth conditions is critical to achieve blocking voltage capability above 5 kV.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4966903},
journal = {Applied Physics Letters},
number = 18,
volume = 109,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Oct 31 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Mon Oct 31 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Growth and Characterization of Vertical and Lateral p-n Junctions Formed by Selective-Area p-GaN MOVPE on Patterned Templates
    journal, November 2018

    • Debald, Arne; Kotzea, Simon; Heuken, Michael
    • physica status solidi (a), Vol. 216, Issue 2
    • DOI: 10.1002/pssa.201800677

    Barrier height modification and mechanism of carrier transport in Ni/ in situ grown Si 3 N 4 /n-GaN Schottky contacts
    journal, January 2018

    • Karpov, S. Y.; Zakheim, D. A.; Lundin, W. V.
    • Semiconductor Science and Technology, Vol. 33, Issue 2
    • DOI: 10.1088/1361-6641/aaa603
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