GaAs HEMT Reliability and Degradation Mechanisms after Long Term Stress Testing

GaAs based metamorphic and pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) under DC and thermal stress were studied. InAlAs/InGaAs MHEMTs grown on GaAs substrates were stressed at a drain voltage bias of 2.7V for 36 hours as well as thermally stressed at 250°C for 36 hours. Under both stress conditions, the drain current density decreased about 12.5%. The gate current, however, increased more after the thermal storage as opposed to DC bias. Reaction of the Ohmic contact with the underlying semiconductor was the main cause of degradation after thermal stressing. Transmission electron microscopy verified that gate sinking occurred in devices that underwent DC bias stressing. InGaAs pHEMTs that received a 1000 hour lifetime stress test from a commercial vendor showed similar degradation as virgin devices when stressed under DC bias for 24 hours. Virgin devices that were thermally stressed while undergoing DC bias showed minimal degradation up to 120°C, but exhibited catastrophic failure at 140°C.