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Title: Identification of the defect dominating high temperature reverse leakage current in vertical GaN power diodes through deep level transient spectroscopy

Abstract

Deep level defects in wide bandgap semiconductors, whose response times are in the range of power converter switching times, can have a significant effect on converter efficiency. Here, we use deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) to evaluate such defect levels in the n-drift layer of vertical gallium nitride (v-GaN) power diodes with VBD ~ 1500 V. DLTS reveals three energy levels that are at ~0.6 eV (highest density), ~0.27 eV (lowest density), and ~45 meV (a dopant level) from the conduction band. Dopant extraction from capacitance–voltage measurement tests (C–V) at multiple temperatures enables trap density evaluation, and the ~0.6 eV trap has a density of 1.2 × 1015 cm-3. The 0.6 eV energy level and its density are similar to a defect that is known to cause current collapse in GaN based surface conducting devices (like high electron mobility transistors). Analysis of reverse bias currents over temperature in the v-GaN diodes indicates a predominant role of the same defect in determining reverse leakage current at high temperatures, reducing switching efficiency.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
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  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Electricity (OE), Advanced Grid Research & Development. Power Systems Engineering Research
OSTI Identifier:
1840776
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1882877
Report Number(s):
SAND2022-0817J
Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951
Grant/Contract Number:  
NA0003525
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Applied Physics Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 120; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; 42 ENGINEERING; capacitance voltage profiling; deep level transient spectroscopy; semiconductor structures; P-N junctions; electrical properties and parameters; electronic band structure

Citation Formats

DasGupta, Sandeepan, Slobodyan, Oleksiy, Smith, Trevor, Binder, Andrew, Flicker, Jack, Kaplar, Robert, Mueller, Jacob, Rodriguez, Luciano Garcia, and Atcitty, Stan. Identification of the defect dominating high temperature reverse leakage current in vertical GaN power diodes through deep level transient spectroscopy. United States: N. p., 2022. Web. doi:10.1063/5.0082257.
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DasGupta, Sandeepan, Slobodyan, Oleksiy, Smith, Trevor, Binder, Andrew, Flicker, Jack, Kaplar, Robert, Mueller, Jacob, Rodriguez, Luciano Garcia, & Atcitty, Stan. Identification of the defect dominating high temperature reverse leakage current in vertical GaN power diodes through deep level transient spectroscopy. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0082257
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DasGupta, Sandeepan, Slobodyan, Oleksiy, Smith, Trevor, Binder, Andrew, Flicker, Jack, Kaplar, Robert, Mueller, Jacob, Rodriguez, Luciano Garcia, and Atcitty, Stan. Mon . "Identification of the defect dominating high temperature reverse leakage current in vertical GaN power diodes through deep level transient spectroscopy". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0082257. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1840776.
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@article{osti_1840776,
title = {Identification of the defect dominating high temperature reverse leakage current in vertical GaN power diodes through deep level transient spectroscopy},
author = {DasGupta, Sandeepan and Slobodyan, Oleksiy and Smith, Trevor and Binder, Andrew and Flicker, Jack and Kaplar, Robert and Mueller, Jacob and Rodriguez, Luciano Garcia and Atcitty, Stan},
abstractNote = {Deep level defects in wide bandgap semiconductors, whose response times are in the range of power converter switching times, can have a significant effect on converter efficiency. Here, we use deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) to evaluate such defect levels in the n-drift layer of vertical gallium nitride (v-GaN) power diodes with VBD ~ 1500 V. DLTS reveals three energy levels that are at ~0.6 eV (highest density), ~0.27 eV (lowest density), and ~45 meV (a dopant level) from the conduction band. Dopant extraction from capacitance–voltage measurement tests (C–V) at multiple temperatures enables trap density evaluation, and the ~0.6 eV trap has a density of 1.2 × 1015 cm-3. The 0.6 eV energy level and its density are similar to a defect that is known to cause current collapse in GaN based surface conducting devices (like high electron mobility transistors). Analysis of reverse bias currents over temperature in the v-GaN diodes indicates a predominant role of the same defect in determining reverse leakage current at high temperatures, reducing switching efficiency.},
doi = {10.1063/5.0082257},
journal = {Applied Physics Letters},
number = 5,
volume = 120,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jan 31 00:00:00 EST 2022},
month = {Mon Jan 31 00:00:00 EST 2022}
}
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