Influence of Field Plate on the Transient Operation of the AlGaN/GaN HEMT

In this letter, a link between the AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility-transistor (HEMT) field plate (FP) and the rate of reoccupation of surface traps is presented. Surface traps are considered to be among the primary factors behind HEMT performance deterioration at high frequencies. Results from simulations using the commercial software package DESSIS are presented, in which the FP is found to reduce trap reoccupation by limiting the tunneling injection of electrons into surface traps in the gate-drain region and thus considerably improve the transient operation of the device.

[1]  Shreepad Karmalkar,et al.  Enhancement of breakdown voltage in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors using a field plate , 2001 .

[2]  Lester F. Eastman,et al.  Slow transients observed in AlGaN/GaN HFETs: effects of SiN/sub x/ passivation and UV illumination , 2003 .

[3]  G. Meneghesso,et al.  Current Collapse and High-Electric-Field Reliability of Unpassivated GaN/AlGaN/GaN HEMTs , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[4]  V. Kaper,et al.  Performance of the AlGaN HEMT structure with a gate extension , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[5]  C. Gaquiere,et al.  Current instabilities in GaN-based devices , 2001, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[6]  G. Meneghesso,et al.  Investigation of High-Electric-Field Degradation Effects in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[7]  J. Kováč,et al.  Investigation of trap effects in AlGaN∕GaN field-effect transistors by temperature dependent threshold voltage analysis , 2008 .

[8]  Seiya Kasai,et al.  Mechanism of surface conduction in the vicinity of Schottky gates on AlGaN∕GaN heterostructures , 2007 .

[9]  G. Simin,et al.  Mechanism of current collapse removal in field-plated nitride HFETs , 2005, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[10]  Kazushige Horio,et al.  Physics-based simulation of buffer-trapping effects on slow current transients and current collapse in GaN field effect transistors , 2005 .

[11]  James S. Speck,et al.  Polarization effects, surface states, and the source of electrons in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors , 2000 .

[12]  F. Calle,et al.  Effects of $\hbox{N}_{2}$ Plasma Pretreatment on the SiN Passivation of AlGaN/GaN HEMT , 2008, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[13]  V. Tilak,et al.  Effects of SiN passivation and high-electric field on AlGaN-GaN HFET degradation , 2003, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[14]  U. Mishra,et al.  30-W/mm GaN HEMTs by field plate optimization , 2004, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[15]  J. M. Tirado,et al.  Trapping Effects in the Transient Response of AlGaN/GaN HEMT Devices , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.