Identification of Buffer and Surface Traps in Fe-Doped AlGaN/GaN HEMTs Using Y21 Frequency Dispersion Properties

The buffer and surface trapping effects on low-frequency (LF) Y-parameters of Fe-doped AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are analyzed through experimental and simulation studies. The drain current transient (DCT) characterization is also carried out to complement the trapping investigation. The Y22 and DCT measurements reveal the presence of an electron trap at 0.45–0.5 eV in the HEMT structure. On the other hand, two electron trap states at 0.2 eV and 0.45 eV are identified from the LF Y21 dispersion properties of the same device. The Y-parameter simulations are performed in Sentaurus TCAD in order to detect the spatial location of the traps. As an effective approach, physics-based TCAD models are calibrated by matching the simulated I-V with the measured DC data. The effect of surface donor energy level and trap density on the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) density is examined. The validated Y21 simulation results indicate the existence of both acceptor-like traps at EC –0.45 eV in the GaN buffer and surface donor states at EC –0.2 eV in the GaN/nitride interface. Thus, it is shown that LF Y21 characteristics could help in differentiating the defects present in the buffer and surface region, while the DCT and Y22 are mostly sensitive to the buffer traps.

Impact of Surface States and Aluminum Mole Fraction on Surface Potential and 2DEG in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

The presence of surface traps is an important phenomenon in AlGaN/GaN HEMT. The electrical and physical properties of these surface traps have been analyzed through the study of 2DEG electron concentration along with the variation of aluminum percentage in the barrier layer of HEMT. This analysis shows that from deep to shallow donors, the percentage change in electron density in 2DEG gets saturated (near 8%) with change in aluminum concentration. The depth of the quantum potential well below the Fermi level is also analyzed and is found to get saturated (near 2%) with aluminum percentage when surface donor states energy changes to deep from shallow. The physics behind this collective effect is also analyzed through band diagram too. The effect of surface donor traps on the surface potential also has been discussed in detail. These surface states are modeled as donor states. Deep donor (EC − ED = 1.4 eV) to shallow donor (EC − ED = 0.2 eV) surface traps are thoroughly studied for the donor concentration of 1011 to 1016 cm−2. This study involves an aluminum concentration variation from 5 to 50%. This paper for the first time presents the comprehensive TCAD study of surface donor and analysis of electron concentration in the channel and 2DEG formation at AlGaN–GaN interface.

Снижение порога генерации с помощью легирования в лазерах среднего инфракрасного диапазона на основе HgCdTe с квантовыми ямами HgTe

The possibility of significant lowering of the interband lasing threshold in laser structures of the mid-infrared region based on HgCdTe with HgTe quantum wells by doping with donors, which introduce δ layers near quantum wells, is proposed and analyzed. It is shown that at an optimum surface donor concentration in the δ layer of 4 × 10^10 cm^–2 and an operating temperature of >40 K, the lasing threshold at a wavelength of 20 μm can be lowered more than twofold.