Vertical architecture for enhancement mode power transistors based on GaN nanowires

The demonstration of vertical GaN wrap-around gated field-effect transistors using GaN nanowires is reported. The nanowires with smooth a-plane sidewalls have hexagonal geometry made by top-down etching. A 7-nanowire transistor exhibits enhancement mode operation with threshold voltage of 1.2 V, on/off current ratio as high as 108, and subthreshold slope as small as 68 mV/dec. Although there is space charge limited current behavior at small source-drain voltages (Vds), the drain current (Id) and transconductance (gm) reach up to 314 mA/mm and 125 mS/mm, respectively, when normalized with hexagonal nanowire circumference. The measured breakdown voltage is around 140 V. This vertical approach provides a way to next-generation GaN-based power devices.

[1]  Enhancement-Mode m-plane AlGaN/GaN Heterojunction Field-Effect Transistors , 2009 .

[2]  E. Calleja,et al.  A top-gate GaN nanowire metal–semiconductor field effect transistor with improved channel electrostatic control , 2016 .

[3]  S. Denbaars,et al.  Smooth Top-Down Photoelectrochemical Etching of m-Plane GaN , 2009 .

[4]  Stephen Y. Chou,et al.  Wire-channel and wrap-around-gate metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors with a significant reduction of short channel effects , 1997 .

[5]  I. Biaggio,et al.  Observation of the Mott–Gurney law in tris (8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum films , 2002 .

[6]  K. Bertness,et al.  MOSFETs Made From GaN Nanowires With Fully Conformal Cylindrical Gates , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology.

[7]  Yugang Zhou,et al.  High-performance enhancement-mode AlGaN/GaN HEMTs using fluoride-based plasma treatment , 2005, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[8]  S. Denbaars,et al.  Enhancement-Mode m-plane AlGaN/GaN Heterojunction Field-Effect Transistors with +3 V of Threshold Voltage Using Al2O3 Deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition , 2009 .

[9]  Hidetoshi Ishida,et al.  Nonpolar (11-20) plane AlGaN∕GaN heterojunction field effect transistors on (1-102) plane sapphire , 2007 .

[10]  Shyh-Chiang Shen,et al.  GaN/InGaN heterojunction bipolar transistors with ultra‐high d.c. power density (>3 MW/cm2) , 2012 .

[11]  Isabelle Ferain,et al.  Multigate transistors as the future of classical metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors , 2011, Nature.

[12]  M. King,et al.  Top-down fabrication of large-area GaN micro- and nanopillars , 2013 .

[13]  S. Kamiyama,et al.  Nonpolar a-Plane AlGaN/GaN Heterostructure Field-Effect Transistors Grown on Freestanding GaN Substrate , 2011 .

[14]  T. Oka,et al.  Vertical GaN-based trench metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors on a free-standing GaN substrate with blocking voltage of 1.6 kV , 2014 .

[15]  J. Melngailis,et al.  Diameter dependent transport properties of gallium nitride nanowire field effect transistors , 2007 .

[16]  S. McLaughlin,et al.  Formation of large-area GaN nanostructures with controlled geometry and morphology using top-down fabrication scheme , 2012 .

[17]  T. Fukui,et al.  A III–V nanowire channel on silicon for high-performance vertical transistors , 2012, Nature.

[18]  Jin Wang,et al.  Applications of Gallium Nitride in power electronics , 2013, 2013 IEEE Power and Energy Conference at Illinois (PECI).

[19]  H. Beneking,et al.  Gigahertz p-channel enhancement silicon MOSFET with nonoverlapping gate , 1970 .

[20]  H. Ishida,et al.  Gate Injection Transistor (GIT)—A Normally-Off AlGaN/GaN Power Transistor Using Conductivity Modulation , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[21]  A. Waag,et al.  GaN based nanorods for solid state lighting , 2012 .

[22]  Charles M. Lieber,et al.  Dopant-free GaN/AlN/AlGaN radial nanowire heterostructures as high electron mobility transistors. , 2006, Nano letters.

[23]  B. Lu,et al.  Tri-Gate Normally-Off GaN Power MISFET , 2012, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[24]  Michael S. Shur,et al.  Enhancement and depletion mode GaN/AlGaN heterostructure field effect transistors , 1996 .

[25]  T. Tanaka,et al.  Nonpolar AlGaN/GaN HFETs with a normally off operation , 2012 .

[26]  L. Peng,et al.  Short channel effects on gallium nitride/gallium oxide nanowire transistors , 2012 .

[27]  K. Bertness,et al.  MESFETs Made From Individual GaN Nanowires , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology.

[28]  R. Dimitrov,et al.  Two dimensional electron gases induced by spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization in undoped and doped AlGaN/GaN heterostructures , 2000 .

[29]  Tetsu Kachi,et al.  GaN-Based Trench Gate Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor Fabricated with Novel Wet Etching , 2008 .

[30]  Kin Leong Pey,et al.  Two-dimensional analytical Mott-Gurney law for a trap-filled solid , 2007 .

[31]  I. Omura,et al.  Recessed-gate structure approach toward normally off high-Voltage AlGaN/GaN HEMT for power electronics applications , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[32]  A. Waag,et al.  Nitrogen-polar core-shell GaN light-emitting diodes grown by selective area metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy , 2012 .

[33]  Peidong Yang,et al.  Semiconductor nanowire: what's next? , 2010, Nano letters.

[34]  Ho-Young Cha,et al.  Fabrication and characterization of pre-aligned gallium nitride nanowire field-effect transistors , 2006 .