A GaN HEMT Structure Allowing Self-Terminated, Plasma-Free Etching for High-Uniformity, High-Mobility Enhancement-Mode Devices

Citation:

Lin S, Wang M, Sang F, Tao M, Wen CP, Xie B, Yu M, Wang J, Hao Y, Wu W, et al. A GaN HEMT Structure Allowing Self-Terminated, Plasma-Free Etching for High-Uniformity, High-Mobility Enhancement-Mode Devices. IEEE ELECTRON DEVICE LETTERS. 2016;37:377-380.

摘要:

In this letter, a plasma-free etch stop structure is developed for GaN HEMT toward enhancement-mode operation. The self-terminated precision gate recess is realized by inserting a thin AlN/GaN bilayer in the AlGaN barrier layer. The gate recess is stopped automatically at the GaN insertion layer after high-temperature oxidation and wet etch, leaving a thin AlGaN barrier to maintain a quantum well channel that is normally pinched off. With addition of an Al2O3 gate dielectric, quasi normally OFF GaN MOSHEMTs have been fabricated with high threshold uniformity and low ON-resistance comparable with the normally ON devices on the same wafer. A high channel mobility of 1400 cm(2)/V . s was obtained due to the preservation of the high electron mobility in the quantum-well channel under the gate.