Electric-field-driven degradation in off-state step-stressed AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors

Chih Yang Chang, E. A. Douglas, Jinhyung Kim, Liu Lu, Chien Fong Lo, Byung Hwan Chu, D. J. Cheney, B. P. Gila, F. Ren, G. D. Via, David A. Cullen, Lin Zhou, David J. Smith, Soohwan Jang, S. J. Pearton

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

47 Scopus citations

Abstract

The critical degradation voltage of AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors during off-state electrical stress was determined as a function of Ni/Au gate dimensions (0.10.17 μ), drain bias voltage, and source/draingate contact distance. Devices with different gate lengths and gatedrain distances were found to exhibit the onset of degradation at different sourcedrain biases but similar electric field strengths, showing that the degradation mechanism is primarily field driven. The degradation field was calculated to be 1.8 MV/cm by Automatically Tuned Linear Algebra Software simulations. Transmission electron microscopy imaging showed creation of defects under the gate after dc stress.

Original languageEnglish
Article number5678846
Pages (from-to)187-193
Number of pages7
JournalIEEE Transactions on Device and Materials Reliability
Volume11
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2011
Externally publishedYes

Funding

Manuscript received June 1, 2010; revised July 10, 2010, November 23, 2010, and December 16, 2010; accepted December 22, 2010. Date of publication January 6, 2011; date of current version March 9, 2011. This work was supported in part by the AFOSR MURI monitored by Kitt Reinhardt and in part by Arizona State University under AFRL Contract FA8650-08-C-1395 (monitored by C. Bozada, WPAFB).

FundersFunder number
AFOSR MURI
Kitt Reinhardt
Air Force Research LaboratoryFA8650-08-C-1395
Arizona State University

    Keywords

    • AlGaN
    • GaN
    • degradation
    • high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT)

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