SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

A gate current 1/f noise model for GaN/AlGaN HEMTs

Yu'an Liu and Yiqi Zhuang

+ Author Affiliations

 Corresponding author: Liu Yu'an, Email:danu0012004@163.com

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Abstract: This work presents a theoretical and experimental study on the gate current 1/f noise in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. Based on the carrier number fluctuation in the two-dimensional electron gas channel of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs, a gate current 1/f noise model containing a trap-assisted tunneling current and a space charge limited current is built. The simulation results are in good agreement with the experiment. Experiments show that, if Vg < Vx (critical gate voltage of dielectric relaxation), gate current 1/f noise comes from the superimposition of trap-assisted tunneling RTS (random telegraph noise), while Vg > Vx, gate current 1/f noise comes from not only the trap-assisted tunneling RTS, but also the space charge limited current RTS. This indicates that the gate current 1/f noise of the GaN-based HEMTs device is sensitive to the interaction of defects and the piezoelectric relaxation. It provides a useful characterization tool for deeper information about the defects and their evolution in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.

Key words: 1/f noisegate leakageAlGaN/GaNHEMT



[1]
Asgari A, Karamad M, Kalafi M. Modeling of trap-assisted tunneling in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors with different Al mole fractions. Superlattices and Microstructures, 2006, 40:603 doi: 10.1016/j.spmi.2006.07.023
[2]
Hasegawa H, Inagaki T, Ootomo S, et al. Mechanisms of current collapse and gate leakage currents in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors. J Vac Sci Technol B-Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures, 2003, 21(4):1844 doi: 10.1116/1.1589520
[3]
Del Alamo J A, Joh J. GaN HEMT reliability. Microelectron Reliab, 2009, 49:1200 doi: 10.1016/j.microrel.2009.07.003
[4]
Tartarin J G. Diagnostic tools for accurate reliability investigations of GaN devices. 21st International Conference on Noise and Fluctuations, 2011:452
[5]
Rao H, Bosman G. Study of RF reliability of GaN HEMTs using low-frequency noise spectroscopy. IEEE Trans Device Mater Reliab, 2012, 12(1):31 doi: 10.1109/TDMR.2011.2173497
[6]
Marko P, Meneghini M, Bychikhin S, et al. Noise and electroluminescence analysis of stress-induced percolation paths in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. Microelectron Reliab, 2012, 52:2194 doi: 10.1016/j.microrel.2012.06.030
[7]
Kotchetkov D, Balandin A A. Carrier-density fluctuation noise and the interface trap density in GaN/AlGaN HFETs. Mat Res Soc Symp Proc, 2001:680
[8]
Han I K, Lee J I. Low frequency noise in HEMT structure. Journal of the Korean Physical Society, 2001, 39:S322
[9]
Katz O, Bahir G, Salzman J. Low-frequency 1/f noise and persistent transients in AlGaN-GaN HFETs. IEEE Electron Device Lett, 2005, 26(6):345 doi: 10.1109/LED.2005.848092
[10]
Rao H, Bosman G. Simultaneous low-frequency noise characterization of gate and drain currents in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. J Appl Phys, 2009, 106:103712 doi: 10.1063/1.3259437
[11]
Rao H, Bosman G. Device reliability study of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors under high gate and channel electric fields via low frequency noise spectroscopy. Microelectron Reliab, 2010, 50:1528 doi: 10.1016/j.microrel.2010.07.073
[12]
Marko P, Alexewicz A, Hilt O, et al. Random telegraph signal noise in gate current of unstressed and reverse bias-stressed AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. Appl Phys Lett, 2012, 100:143507 doi: 10.1063/1.3701164
[13]
Karboyan S, Tartarin J G, Labat N, et al. Gate and drain low frequency noise of ALGAN/GAN HEMTs featuring high and low gate leakage currents. IEEE 22nd International Conference on Noise and Fluctuations (ICNF), 2013:1
[14]
Rendek K, Satka A, Donoval D. Measurement set-up for low-frequency noise characterization of GaN HEMT transistors. IEEE 22nd International Conference on Radioelektronika, 2012:1
[15]
Satka A, Rendek K, Priesol J. Relaxation of low-frequency noise in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. IEEE Ninth International Conference on Advanced Semiconductor Devices & Microsystems (ASDAM), Smolenice, Slovakia, 2012:19
[16]
Kumar N, Kumar P, Kumar A. AlGaN/GaN HFET:operating principle and noise performance. International Journal of Advanced Trends in Computer Science and Engineering, 2013, 2(4):86
[17]
Tartarin J G, Karboyan S, Carisetti D, et al. Gate defects in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs revealed by low frequency noise measurements. IEEE 22nd International Conference on Noise and Fluctuations (ICNF), 2013
[18]
Xu W, Bosman G. Space charge limited current noise in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. IEEE 22nd International Conference on Noise and Fluctuations (ICNF), 2013
[19]
Xu W, Rao H, Bosman G. Evidence of space charge limited flow in the gate current of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. Appl Phys Lett, 2012, 100:223504 doi: 10.1063/1.4724207
[20]
Sudharsanan S, Karmalkar S. Modeling of the reverse gate leakage in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. J Appl Phys, 2010, 107:064501 doi: 10.1063/1.3340826
[21]
Crupi F, Magnone P, Simoen E, et al. The role of the interfaces in the 1/f noise of MOSFETs with high-k gate stacks. ECS Trans, 2009, 19(2):87
[22]
Hasegawa H, Akazawa M. Current transport, Fermi level pinning, and transient behavior of group-Ⅲ nitride Schottky barriers. Journal of the Korean Physical Society, 2009, 55(3):1167
[23]
Vitusevich S A, Danylyuk S V, Kurakin A M. Origin of noise in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures in the range of 10-100 MHz. J Appl Phys, 2006, 99:0737061
Fig. 1.  (a) Cross section of an AlGaN/GaN HEMT, where the virtual gate effect leads to the depletion extended, meanwhile, the interaction between the space charge and piezoelectric dipole charge will result in the gate current 1/$f$ noise. (b) Corresponding energy band diagram of the AlGaN/GaN HEMT, where $E_{\rm c}$ is conduction band energy level of GaN. $V_{\rm g}$ is the bias on the gate relative to the source. $E_{\rm F1}$ and $E_{\rm F2}$ is Fermi level correspondence to $V_{\rm g}$ $ < $ 0 and $V_{\rm g}$ $>$ 0, respectively. $\mathit{\Phi} _{\rm t}$ is the difference in potential between the AlGaN conduction band and the traps. $\mathit{\Phi} _{\rm b}$ is the Schottky barrier height, equal to the amount of energy by which the bottom of the conduction band discontinuity $\Delta \Phi _{\rm c}$ is above the Fermi energy, where the $x_{\rm m}$ is the thickness of the AlGaN layer. $\Delta E_{\rm a}$ is the activation energy associated with the surface trap-to-trap current conduction. The two arrows denote the two gate current paths, respectively.

Fig. 2.  Device structure and the movement of the stress produced carriers, where SGD represents the device's source drain and gate, respectively.

Fig. 3.  Measured gate-drain current as a function of the magnitude of the gate voltage.

Fig. 4.  The gate current 1/$f$ noise of an AlGaN/GaN HEMTs device under different biases.

[1]
Asgari A, Karamad M, Kalafi M. Modeling of trap-assisted tunneling in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors with different Al mole fractions. Superlattices and Microstructures, 2006, 40:603 doi: 10.1016/j.spmi.2006.07.023
[2]
Hasegawa H, Inagaki T, Ootomo S, et al. Mechanisms of current collapse and gate leakage currents in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors. J Vac Sci Technol B-Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures, 2003, 21(4):1844 doi: 10.1116/1.1589520
[3]
Del Alamo J A, Joh J. GaN HEMT reliability. Microelectron Reliab, 2009, 49:1200 doi: 10.1016/j.microrel.2009.07.003
[4]
Tartarin J G. Diagnostic tools for accurate reliability investigations of GaN devices. 21st International Conference on Noise and Fluctuations, 2011:452
[5]
Rao H, Bosman G. Study of RF reliability of GaN HEMTs using low-frequency noise spectroscopy. IEEE Trans Device Mater Reliab, 2012, 12(1):31 doi: 10.1109/TDMR.2011.2173497
[6]
Marko P, Meneghini M, Bychikhin S, et al. Noise and electroluminescence analysis of stress-induced percolation paths in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. Microelectron Reliab, 2012, 52:2194 doi: 10.1016/j.microrel.2012.06.030
[7]
Kotchetkov D, Balandin A A. Carrier-density fluctuation noise and the interface trap density in GaN/AlGaN HFETs. Mat Res Soc Symp Proc, 2001:680
[8]
Han I K, Lee J I. Low frequency noise in HEMT structure. Journal of the Korean Physical Society, 2001, 39:S322
[9]
Katz O, Bahir G, Salzman J. Low-frequency 1/f noise and persistent transients in AlGaN-GaN HFETs. IEEE Electron Device Lett, 2005, 26(6):345 doi: 10.1109/LED.2005.848092
[10]
Rao H, Bosman G. Simultaneous low-frequency noise characterization of gate and drain currents in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. J Appl Phys, 2009, 106:103712 doi: 10.1063/1.3259437
[11]
Rao H, Bosman G. Device reliability study of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors under high gate and channel electric fields via low frequency noise spectroscopy. Microelectron Reliab, 2010, 50:1528 doi: 10.1016/j.microrel.2010.07.073
[12]
Marko P, Alexewicz A, Hilt O, et al. Random telegraph signal noise in gate current of unstressed and reverse bias-stressed AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. Appl Phys Lett, 2012, 100:143507 doi: 10.1063/1.3701164
[13]
Karboyan S, Tartarin J G, Labat N, et al. Gate and drain low frequency noise of ALGAN/GAN HEMTs featuring high and low gate leakage currents. IEEE 22nd International Conference on Noise and Fluctuations (ICNF), 2013:1
[14]
Rendek K, Satka A, Donoval D. Measurement set-up for low-frequency noise characterization of GaN HEMT transistors. IEEE 22nd International Conference on Radioelektronika, 2012:1
[15]
Satka A, Rendek K, Priesol J. Relaxation of low-frequency noise in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. IEEE Ninth International Conference on Advanced Semiconductor Devices & Microsystems (ASDAM), Smolenice, Slovakia, 2012:19
[16]
Kumar N, Kumar P, Kumar A. AlGaN/GaN HFET:operating principle and noise performance. International Journal of Advanced Trends in Computer Science and Engineering, 2013, 2(4):86
[17]
Tartarin J G, Karboyan S, Carisetti D, et al. Gate defects in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs revealed by low frequency noise measurements. IEEE 22nd International Conference on Noise and Fluctuations (ICNF), 2013
[18]
Xu W, Bosman G. Space charge limited current noise in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. IEEE 22nd International Conference on Noise and Fluctuations (ICNF), 2013
[19]
Xu W, Rao H, Bosman G. Evidence of space charge limited flow in the gate current of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. Appl Phys Lett, 2012, 100:223504 doi: 10.1063/1.4724207
[20]
Sudharsanan S, Karmalkar S. Modeling of the reverse gate leakage in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. J Appl Phys, 2010, 107:064501 doi: 10.1063/1.3340826
[21]
Crupi F, Magnone P, Simoen E, et al. The role of the interfaces in the 1/f noise of MOSFETs with high-k gate stacks. ECS Trans, 2009, 19(2):87
[22]
Hasegawa H, Akazawa M. Current transport, Fermi level pinning, and transient behavior of group-Ⅲ nitride Schottky barriers. Journal of the Korean Physical Society, 2009, 55(3):1167
[23]
Vitusevich S A, Danylyuk S V, Kurakin A M. Origin of noise in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures in the range of 10-100 MHz. J Appl Phys, 2006, 99:0737061
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    Received: 21 May 2014 Revised: 14 July 2014 Online: Published: 01 December 2014

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      Yu'an Liu, Yiqi Zhuang. A gate current 1/f noise model for GaN/AlGaN HEMTs[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2014, 35(12): 124005. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/124005 Y A Liu, Y Q Zhuang. A gate current 1/f noise model for GaN/AlGaN HEMTs[J]. J. Semicond., 2014, 35(12): 124005. doi:  10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/124005.Export: BibTex EndNote
      Citation:
      Yu'an Liu, Yiqi Zhuang. A gate current 1/f noise model for GaN/AlGaN HEMTs[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2014, 35(12): 124005. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/124005

      Y A Liu, Y Q Zhuang. A gate current 1/f noise model for GaN/AlGaN HEMTs[J]. J. Semicond., 2014, 35(12): 124005. doi:  10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/124005.
      Export: BibTex EndNote

      A gate current 1/f noise model for GaN/AlGaN HEMTs

      doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/35/12/124005
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      • Corresponding author: Liu Yu'an, Email:danu0012004@163.com
      • Received Date: 2014-05-21
      • Revised Date: 2014-07-14
      • Published Date: 2014-12-01

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