J. Semicond. > 2013, Volume 34 > Issue 2 > 024003
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SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

Fluorine-plasma surface treatment for gate forward leakage current reduction in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

Wanjun Chen1, , Jing Zhang1, Bo Zhang1 and Kevin Jing Chen 2

+ Author Affiliations

 Corresponding author: Chen Wanjun,wjchen@uestc.edu.cn

DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/2/024003

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Abstract: The gate forward leakage current in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) is investigated. It is shown that the current which originated from the forward biased Schottky-gate contributed to the gate forward leakage current. Therefore, a fluorine-plasma surface treatment is presented to induce the negative ions into the AlGaN layer which results in a higher metal-semiconductor barrier. Consequently, the gate forward leakage current shrinks. Experimental results confirm that the gate forward leakage current is decreased by one order magnitude lower than that of HEMT device without plasma treatment. In addition, the DC characteristics of the HEMT device with plasma treatment have been studied.

Key words: fluorine-plasma surface treatment, AlGaN/GaN HEMTs, leakage current



[1]
Dora Y, Chakraborty A, McCarthy L, et al. High breakdown voltage achieved on AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with integrated slant field plates. IEEE Electron Device Lett, 2006, 27:713 doi: 10.1109/LED.2006.881020
[2]
Chen W, Wong K Y, Huang W, et al. High-performance AlGaN/GaN lateral field-effect rectifiers compatible with high electron mobility transistors. Appl Phys Lett, 2008, 92:253501 doi: 10.1063/1.2951615
[3]
Chen W, Wong K Y, Chen K J. Single-chip boost converter using monolithically integrated AlGaN/GaN lateral field-effect rectifier and normally-off HEMT. IEEE Electron Device Lett, 2009, 30:430 doi: 10.1109/LED.2009.2015897
[4]
Miller E J, Dang X Z, Yu E T. Gate leakage current mechanisms in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors. J Appl Phys, 2000, 88:5951 doi: 10.1063/1.1319972
[5]
Shen L, Palacios T, Poblenz C, et al. Unpassivated high power deeply recessed GaN HEMTs with fluorine-plasma surface treatment. IEEE Electron Device Lett, 2006, 27:214 doi: 10.1109/LED.2006.871887
[6]
Karmalkar S, Sathaiya D M. Mechanism of the reverse gate leakage in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. Appl Phys Lett, 2003, 82:3976 doi: 10.1063/1.1579852
[7]
Hashizume T, Kotani J, Hasegawa H. Leakage mechanism in GaN and AlGaN Schottky interfaces. Appl Phys Lett, 2004, 84:4884 doi: 10.1063/1.1762980
[8]
Gu Guodong, Cai Yong, Feng Zhihong, et al. Enhancement-mode InAlN/GaN MISHEMT with low gate leakage current. Journal of Semiconductors, 2012, 33(6):064004 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/33/6/064004
[9]
Sanabria C, Chakraborty A, Xu H, et al. The effect of gate leakage on the noise figure of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. IEEE Electron Device Lett, 2006, 27:19 doi: 10.1109/LED.2005.860889
[10]
Chen W, Wong K Y, Chen K J. Monolithic integration of lateral field-effect rectifier with normally-off HEMT for GaN-on-Si switch-mode power supply converters. International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), San Francisco, 2008:141 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4796635/
[11]
Chen W, Zhou C, Chen K J. High-current-density high-voltage normally-off AlGaN/GaN hybrid-gate HEMT with low on-resistance. IET Electron Lett, 2010, 46:1626 doi: 10.1049/el.2010.1950
[12]
Cai Y, Zhou Y, Chen K J, et al. High-performance enhancement-mode AlGaN/GaN HEMTs using fluoride-based plasma treatment. IEEE Electron Device Lett, 2005, 26:435 doi: 10.1109/LED.2005.851122
[13]
Cai Y, Zhou Y, Lau K M, et al. Control of threshold voltage of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs by fluoride-based plasma treatment:from depletion mode to enhancement mode. IEEE Trans Electron Devices, 2006, 53:2207 doi: 10.1109/TED.2006.881054
[14]
Baik K H, Irokawa Y, Ren F, et al. Temperature dependence of forward current characteristics of GaN junction and Schottky rectifiers. Solid-State Electron, 2003, 47(9):1533 doi: 10.1016/S0038-1101(03)00071-6
Fig. 1.  (a) Cross-section of the AlGaN/GaN HEMT structure. (b) A typical I–V of an AlGaN/GaN HEMT

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Fig. 2.  The simulated conduction band energy distribution profile for the gate electrode region of the AlGaN/GaN HEMT with fluorineplasma treatment.

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Fig. 3.  The experimentally measured I–V output characteristics for the fabricated HEMT devices. (a) Control device without treatment. (b) Device with treatment before high temperature annealing. (c) Device with treatment after high temperature annealing

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Fig. 4.  The experimentally measured gate current for the fabricated HEMT devices. (a) Linear coordinates. (b) Logarithm coordinates. Vk define as the gate voltage at a gate current of 1 mA/mm.

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Fig. 5.  The experimentally measured (a) ID–VGS and (b) Gm–VGS curves for the fabricated HEMT devices.

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[1]
Dora Y, Chakraborty A, McCarthy L, et al. High breakdown voltage achieved on AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with integrated slant field plates. IEEE Electron Device Lett, 2006, 27:713 doi: 10.1109/LED.2006.881020
[2]
Chen W, Wong K Y, Huang W, et al. High-performance AlGaN/GaN lateral field-effect rectifiers compatible with high electron mobility transistors. Appl Phys Lett, 2008, 92:253501 doi: 10.1063/1.2951615
[3]
Chen W, Wong K Y, Chen K J. Single-chip boost converter using monolithically integrated AlGaN/GaN lateral field-effect rectifier and normally-off HEMT. IEEE Electron Device Lett, 2009, 30:430 doi: 10.1109/LED.2009.2015897
[4]
Miller E J, Dang X Z, Yu E T. Gate leakage current mechanisms in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors. J Appl Phys, 2000, 88:5951 doi: 10.1063/1.1319972
[5]
Shen L, Palacios T, Poblenz C, et al. Unpassivated high power deeply recessed GaN HEMTs with fluorine-plasma surface treatment. IEEE Electron Device Lett, 2006, 27:214 doi: 10.1109/LED.2006.871887
[6]
Karmalkar S, Sathaiya D M. Mechanism of the reverse gate leakage in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. Appl Phys Lett, 2003, 82:3976 doi: 10.1063/1.1579852
[7]
Hashizume T, Kotani J, Hasegawa H. Leakage mechanism in GaN and AlGaN Schottky interfaces. Appl Phys Lett, 2004, 84:4884 doi: 10.1063/1.1762980
[8]
Gu Guodong, Cai Yong, Feng Zhihong, et al. Enhancement-mode InAlN/GaN MISHEMT with low gate leakage current. Journal of Semiconductors, 2012, 33(6):064004 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/33/6/064004
[9]
Sanabria C, Chakraborty A, Xu H, et al. The effect of gate leakage on the noise figure of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. IEEE Electron Device Lett, 2006, 27:19 doi: 10.1109/LED.2005.860889
[10]
Chen W, Wong K Y, Chen K J. Monolithic integration of lateral field-effect rectifier with normally-off HEMT for GaN-on-Si switch-mode power supply converters. International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), San Francisco, 2008:141 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4796635/
[11]
Chen W, Zhou C, Chen K J. High-current-density high-voltage normally-off AlGaN/GaN hybrid-gate HEMT with low on-resistance. IET Electron Lett, 2010, 46:1626 doi: 10.1049/el.2010.1950
[12]
Cai Y, Zhou Y, Chen K J, et al. High-performance enhancement-mode AlGaN/GaN HEMTs using fluoride-based plasma treatment. IEEE Electron Device Lett, 2005, 26:435 doi: 10.1109/LED.2005.851122
[13]
Cai Y, Zhou Y, Lau K M, et al. Control of threshold voltage of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs by fluoride-based plasma treatment:from depletion mode to enhancement mode. IEEE Trans Electron Devices, 2006, 53:2207 doi: 10.1109/TED.2006.881054
[14]
Baik K H, Irokawa Y, Ren F, et al. Temperature dependence of forward current characteristics of GaN junction and Schottky rectifiers. Solid-State Electron, 2003, 47(9):1533 doi: 10.1016/S0038-1101(03)00071-6

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    Received: 17 May 2012 Revised: 04 September 2012 Online: Published: 01 February 2013

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      Article Navigation >  Journal of Semiconductors  > 2013  >  34(2): 024003
      Wanjun Chen, Jing Zhang, Bo Zhang, Kevin Jing Chen . Fluorine-plasma surface treatment for gate forward leakage current reduction in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2013, 34(2): 024003. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/2/024003 ****W J Chen, J Zhang, B Zhang, K J Chen. Fluorine-plasma surface treatment for gate forward leakage current reduction in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs[J]. J. Semicond., 2013, 34(2): 024003. doi:  10.1088/1674-4926/34/2/024003.
      Citation:
      Wanjun Chen, Jing Zhang, Bo Zhang, Kevin Jing Chen . Fluorine-plasma surface treatment for gate forward leakage current reduction in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2013, 34(2): 024003. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/2/024003 ****
      W J Chen, J Zhang, B Zhang, K J Chen. Fluorine-plasma surface treatment for gate forward leakage current reduction in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs[J]. J. Semicond., 2013, 34(2): 024003. doi:  10.1088/1674-4926/34/2/024003.
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      Fluorine-plasma surface treatment for gate forward leakage current reduction in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

      DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/2/024003
      • 1.

        State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronics Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China

      • 2.

        Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China

      Funds:

      Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 60906037) and the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (No. 20090185120021)

      the National Natural Science Foundation of China 60906037

      the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China 20090185120021

      More Information
      • Corresponding author: Chen Wanjun,wjchen@uestc.edu.cn
      • Received Date: 2012-05-17
      • Revised Date: 2012-09-04
      • Published Date: 2013-02-01

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