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Title: Al00.3Ga0.7N PN diode with breakdown voltage >1600 V

Journal Article · · Electronics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1049/el.2016.1280· OSTI ID:1285958
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  2. Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, PA (United States)
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Demonstration of Al00.3Ga0.7N PN diodes grown with breakdown voltages in excess of 1600 V is reported. The total epilayer thickness is 9.1 μm and was grown by metal-organic vapour-phase epitaxy on 1.3-mm-thick sapphire in order to achieve crack-free structures. A junction termination edge structure was employed to control the lateral electric fields. A current density of 3.5 kA/cm2 was achieved under DC forward bias and a reverse leakage current <3 nA was measured for voltages <1200 V. The differential on-resistance of 16 mΩ cm2 is limited by the lateral conductivity of the n-type contact layer required by the front-surface contact geometry of the device. An effective critical electric field of 5.9 MV/cm was determined from the epilayer properties and the reverse current–voltage characteristics. To our knowledge, this is the first aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN)-based PN diode exhibiting a breakdown voltage in excess of 1 kV. Finally, we note that a Baliga figure of merit (Vbr2/Rspec,on) of 150 MW/cm2 found is the highest reported for an AlGaN PN diode and illustrates the potential of larger-bandgap AlGaN alloys for high-voltage devices.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
OSTI ID:
1285958
Report Number(s):
SAND2016-7284J; 646208
Journal Information:
Electronics Letters, Vol. 52, Issue 15; ISSN 0013-5194
Publisher:
Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 16 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (10)

3.7 kV Vertical GaN PN Diodes journal February 2014
Influence of growth temperature on AlGaN multiquantum well point defect incorporation and photoluminescence efficiency journal April 2011
An assessment of wide bandgap semiconductors for power devices journal May 2003
Low dislocation density AlGaN epilayers by epitaxial overgrowth of patterned templates journal February 2014
High-breakdown-voltage pn-junction diodes on GaN substrates journal January 2007
Vertical GaN Power Diodes With a Bilayer Edge Termination journal January 2016
High-Temperature Characteristics of Al x Ga 1- x N-Based Vertical Conducting Diodes journal April 2008
High Critical Electric Field Exceeding 8 MV/cm Measured Using an AlGaN p – i – n Vertical Conducting Diode on n -SiC Substrate journal April 2007
A 350-nm-band GaN/AlGaN multiple-quantum-well laser diode on bulk GaN journal October 2015
Growth temperature dependence of Si doping efficiency and compensating deep level defect incorporation in Al 0.7 Ga 0.3 N journal May 2015

Cited By (1)

BaTiO 3 /Al 0.58 Ga 0.42 N lateral heterojunction diodes with breakdown field exceeding 8 MV/cm journal January 2020

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