Disclosure of Invention
In order to solve the problems in the prior art, the invention provides an enhanced N-face GaN-based radio frequency power device and a preparation method thereof. The technical problems to be solved by the invention are realized by the following technical scheme:
The first aspect of the invention provides an enhanced N-face GaN-based radio frequency power device, which comprises an N-face GaN buffer layer, an N-face AlGaN barrier layer, an insertion layer, an N-face GaN channel layer, a groove, an N-face AlGaN cap layer, a source electrode structure, a drain electrode structure and a grid electrode, wherein,
The N-face GaN buffer layer, the N-face AlGaN barrier layer, the insertion layer and the N-face GaN channel layer are sequentially arranged from bottom to top;
The groove extends from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer to the inside of the N-face GaN channel layer;
the N-face AlGaN cap layer extends to the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer from the groove, and a gate groove is formed in the part of the N-face AlGaN cap layer in the groove;
The source electrode structure is positioned on one side of the N-face AlGaN cap layer and extends from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer to the lower surface of the N-face AlGaN barrier layer;
The drain structure is positioned on the other side of the N-face AlGaN cap layer and extends from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer to the lower surface of the N-face AlGaN barrier layer;
the grid electrode is positioned in the grid groove.
In one implementation, the device further comprises a substrate layer, a nucleation layer, a device isolation region, and a passivation layer, wherein,
The nucleation layer is positioned on the lower surface of the N-face GaN buffer layer;
the substrate layer is positioned on the lower surface of the nucleation layer;
the device isolation region extends from the upper surfaces of the two ends of the N-face GaN channel layer to the inside of the N-face GaN buffer layer;
The passivation layer covers the surface of the N-face GaN channel layer, the surface of the N-face AlGaN cap layer, the surface of the source electrode structure, the surface of the drain electrode structure, the surface of the grid electrode and the device isolation region.
In one implementation, the source structure includes a source doped layer and a source electrode, wherein,
The source doped layer extends from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer to the lower surface of the N-face AlGaN barrier layer;
The source electrode is positioned on the upper surface of the source doping layer.
In one implementation, the drain structure includes a drain doped layer and a drain electrode, wherein,
The drain doped layer extends from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer to the lower surface of the N-face AlGaN barrier layer;
The drain electrode is located on the upper surface of the drain doped layer.
In one implementation, the thickness of the source doped layer is greater than the sum of the thicknesses of the N-plane AlGaN barrier layer, the insertion layer, and the N-plane GaN channel layer;
the thickness of the drain doped layer is larger than the sum of the thicknesses of the N-face AlGaN barrier layer, the insertion layer and the N-face GaN channel layer.
In one implementation, the materials of the source doped layer and the drain doped layer each comprise N-doped GaN;
The doping concentration of the source doping layer and the drain doping layer is 5e 19-5 e20cm -3.
In one implementation, the gate is a T-gate;
And one part of the grid electrode is positioned in the grid groove, and the other part of the grid electrode extends to part of the surface of the N-face AlGaN cap layer positioned on the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer.
In one implementation, a Si ion doped region is provided at the interface of the N-plane GaN buffer layer and the N-plane AlGaN barrier layer.
In one implementation, the material of the nucleation layer and the insertion layer each comprises AlN;
The material of the passivation layer comprises SiN.
The second aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing an enhanced N-face GaN-based rf power device, which is used for preparing the enhanced N-face GaN-based rf power device provided by the first aspect of the present invention, and includes the following steps:
S1, preparing an N-face GaN buffer layer, an N-face AlGaN barrier layer, an insertion layer and an N-face GaN channel layer which are sequentially arranged from bottom to top;
S2, etching the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer to form a groove extending from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer to the inside of the N-face GaN channel layer;
S3, preparing an N-face AlGaN cap layer in the groove and on the upper surface of part of the N-face GaN channel layer, wherein a gate groove is formed in the part of the N-face AlGaN cap layer in the groove;
s4, preparing a source electrode structure extending from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer to the lower surface of the N-face AlGaN barrier layer on one side of the N-face AlGaN cap layer;
s5, preparing a drain structure extending from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer to the lower surface of the N-face AlGaN barrier layer on the other side of the N-face AlGaN cap layer;
and S6, preparing a grid electrode in the grid groove.
Compared with the prior art, the invention has the beneficial effects that:
According to the enhanced N-face GaN-based radio frequency power device, the N-face GaN/AlGaN heterojunction is formed through the N-face AlGaN barrier layer and the N-face GaN channel layer, and the N-face AlGaN cap layer is arranged on the lower surface of the grid electrode, so that the enhanced device is formed, the control capability of the grid electrode to the 2DEG can be modulated by controlling the thickness of the N-face GaN channel layer and the thickness of the N-face AlGaN cap layer, the saturated leakage current of the device is not influenced while the grid control capability is improved, and the device has better characteristics under higher working frequency.
Detailed Description
The present invention will be described in further detail with reference to specific examples, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.
Example 1
Referring to fig. 1, fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an enhanced N-face GaN-based rf power device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The enhanced N-face GaN-based radio frequency power device comprises an N-face GaN buffer layer 3, an N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4, an insertion layer 5, an N-face GaN channel layer 6, a groove, an N-face AlGaN cap layer 7, a source electrode structure, a drain electrode structure and a grid electrode 12. Wherein, the N face GaN buffer layer 3, the N face AlGaN barrier layer 4, the insertion layer 5 and the N face GaN channel layer 6 are arranged from bottom to top in sequence. The trench extends from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 to the inside of the N-face GaN channel layer 6. The N-face AlGaN cap layer 7 extends from the trench to a part of the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer 6, and a gate groove is formed at a part of the N-face AlGaN cap layer 7 located in the trench. The source structure is located on one side of the N-plane AlGaN cap layer 7 and extends from the upper surface of the N-plane GaN channel layer 6 to the lower surface of the N-plane AlGaN barrier layer 4. The drain structure is located on the other side of the N-plane AlGaN cap layer 7 and extends from the upper surface of the N-plane GaN channel layer 6 to the lower surface of the N-plane AlGaN barrier layer 4. The gate 12 is located in the gate trench.
Specifically, the crystal orientation index of Ga-face (gallium-face) GaN is [0001], and the crystal orientation index of N-face (nitrogen-face) GaN is [0001]. Referring to fig. 2a and 2b, fig. 2a is a schematic diagram of a depletion type Ga-face GaN-based device, fig. 2b is a schematic diagram of a depletion type N-face GaN-based device, polarization directions (spontaneous polarization P sp and piezoelectric polarization P pe) of the Ga-face material and the N-face material are opposite, so that polarization directions of the Ga-face AlGaN/GaN heterojunction formed by the Ga-face material and the N-face material are also opposite, the polarization directions always point to positive charges from negative charges, the 2DEG is formed by accumulating positive charges, the 2DEG in the Ga-face AlGaN/GaN heterojunction is located below the AlGaN layer, and the 2DEG in the N-face GaN/AlGaN heterojunction is located above the AlGaN layer, so that an over-thickness of the AlGaN layer of the depletion type Ga-face GaN-based device affects a gate control capability of the device, but saturation leakage current of the device is not affected by the AlGaN layer thickness of the AlGaN layer, and the saturation leakage current of the depletion type N-face GaN-based device is not affected by the GaN layer being directly thinned. Further, referring to fig. 2c, fig. 2c is a schematic diagram of an enhanced N-face GaN-based device, where a layer of N-face AlGaN cap is prepared on the lower surface of the gate electrode of the depletion N-face GaN-based device, a net negative charge can be generated at the AlGaN cap/GAN CHANNEL interface, and the net negative charge can raise the energy band under the gate electrode, so that the 2DEG of the under-gate region is depleted and finally the enhanced device is formed.
In this embodiment, the N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4 and the N-face GaN channel layer 6 form an N-face GaN/AlGaN heterojunction, the 2DEG of the N-face GaN/AlGaN heterojunction is located in the lower surface layer of the N-face GaN channel layer 6, that is, located above the N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4, the dashed line in fig. 1 is the 2DEG, the insertion layer 5 is used to increase the concentration of the device 2DEG, the trench provided in the N-face GaN channel layer 6 is used to further increase the gate control capability of the gate 12, the N-face AlGaN cap layer 7 is used to deplete the 2DEG in the region under the gate to form an enhanced device, and the threshold voltage of the enhanced device can be modulated by controlling the thickness of the N-face AlGaN cap layer 7 and the content of Al component in the N-face AlGaN cap layer 7. Because the saturation leakage current of the device is mainly influenced by the N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4, the enhanced N-face GaN-based radio frequency power device provided by the embodiment can directly modulate the control capability of the gate 12 to the 2DEG by changing the thickness of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 and the thickness of the N-face AlGaN cap layer 7, and does not influence the saturation leakage current of the device, and the enhanced N-face GaN-based radio frequency power device provided by the embodiment can well balance the relationship between the improvement of the gate control capability and the saturation leakage current level.
In this embodiment, the enhanced N-face GaN-based radio frequency power device further comprises a substrate layer 1, a nucleation layer 2, a device isolation region and a passivation layer 13. Wherein the nucleation layer 2 is positioned on the lower surface of the N-plane GaN buffer layer 3. The substrate layer 1 is located on the lower surface of the nucleation layer 2. The device isolation region extends from the upper surfaces of both ends of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 to the inside of the N-face GaN buffer layer 3. The passivation layer 13 covers the surface of the N-plane GaN channel layer 6, the surface of the N-plane AlGaN cap layer 7, the surface of the source structure, the surface of the drain structure, the surface of the gate 12, and the device isolation region.
Specifically, the materials of the nucleation layer 2 and the insertion layer 5 each include AlN. The material of the passivation layer 13 comprises SiN. The substrate layer 1, the nucleation layer 2, the N-face GaN buffer layer 3, the N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4, the insertion layer 5 and the N-face GaN channel layer 6 are arranged in sequence from bottom to top. The device isolation region is a step region formed by etching and is used for forming device isolation. The passivation layer 13 covers the surface of the device.
In the present embodiment, the source structure includes a source doped layer 8 and a source electrode 10, wherein the source doped layer 8 extends from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 to the lower surface of the N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4. The source electrode 10 is located on the upper surface of the source doped layer 8. The drain structure includes a drain doped layer 9 and a drain electrode 11, wherein the drain doped layer 9 extends from the upper surface of the N-plane GaN channel layer 6 to the lower surface of the N-plane AlGaN barrier layer 4. The drain electrode 11 is located on the upper surface of the drain doped layer 9. The gate 12 is a T-shaped gate. A part of the gate electrode 12 is located in the gate groove, and the other part extends to a part of the surface of the N-plane AlGaN cap layer 7 located on the upper surface of the N-plane GaN channel layer 6.
In the present embodiment, the thickness of the source doped layer 8 is greater than the sum of the thicknesses of the N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4, the insertion layer 5, and the N-face GaN channel layer 6, and the thickness of the drain doped layer 9 is greater than the sum of the thicknesses of the N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4, the insertion layer 5, and the N-face GaN channel layer 6, i.e., the upper surface of the source doped layer 8 and the upper surface of the drain doped layer 9 are both higher than the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer 6. The materials of the source doping layer 8 and the drain doping layer 9 comprise N (Negative) doped GaN, and the doping concentration of the source doping layer 8 and the drain doping layer 9 is 5e 19-5 e20cm -3. The source doped layer 8 and the drain doped layer 9 extend to at least the lower surface of the N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4, i.e. the source doped layer 8 and the drain doped layer 9 at least penetrate through the N-face GaN/AlGaN heterojunction, and the source doped layer 8 and the drain doped layer 9 can be selectively extended to the inside of the N-face GaN buffer layer 3 according to practical requirements.
Referring to fig. 3, in one possible implementation, a Si ion doped region 14 is provided at the interface of the N-plane GaN buffer layer 3 and the N-plane AlGaN barrier layer 4. It should be understood that the Si ion doped region 14 is formed on the upper surface of the N-plane GaN buffer layer 3 and/or the lower surface of the N-plane AlGaN barrier layer 4 by ion implantation. The Si ion doped region 14 is capable of suppressing the two-dimensional hole gas of the device. The doping concentration of the Si ion doped region 14 is, for example, 1e18 to 9e18cm -3.
In this embodiment, the thickness of the N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4 is 20 to 30nm, the thickness of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 is 3 to 10nm, and the distance between the bottom of the trench and the lower surface of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 is 3 to 4nm. The thickness of the N-face AlGaN cap layer 7 is 2-5 nm. The source electrode 10 and the drain electrode 11 are made of Ti/Au/Ni/Au laminated metal, and the thicknesses are 20nm/100nm/10nm/50nm respectively. The material of the grid electrode 12 is Ni/Au/Ni laminated metal, and the thickness is 30nm/300nm/30nm respectively.
According to the enhanced N-face GaN-based radio frequency power device provided by the embodiment, the N-face GaN/AlGaN heterojunction is formed through the N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4 and the N-face GaN channel layer 6, and the enhanced device is formed through the arrangement of the N-face AlGaN cap layer 7 on the lower surface of the grid electrode 12, the control capability of the grid electrode 12 on the 2DEG can be modulated by controlling the thickness of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 and the thickness of the N-face AlGaN cap layer 7, the saturated leakage current of the device is not influenced, and the device has better characteristics under higher working frequency. The enhanced N-face GaN-based radio frequency power device provided by the embodiment is realized based on the polarization modulation effect, the working frequency of the device is effectively improved while the enhanced device is obtained, and the device has a wide application prospect in the field of higher frequency band communication such as 6G in the future.
Example two
Referring to fig. 4a to fig. 4i, fig. 4a to fig. 4i are schematic step diagrams of a method for manufacturing an enhanced N-plane GaN-based radio frequency power device according to an embodiment of the invention.
The preparation method of the enhanced N-face GaN-based radio frequency power device provided by the embodiment of the invention is used for preparing the enhanced N-face GaN-based radio frequency power device, and comprises the following steps:
s1, preparing an N-face GaN buffer layer 3, an N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4, an insertion layer 5 and an N-face GaN channel layer 6 which are sequentially arranged from bottom to top.
Specifically, referring to FIG. 4a, step S1 comprises sequentially growing a nucleation layer 2, an N-plane GaN buffer layer 3, an N-plane AlGaN barrier layer 4, an insertion layer 5 and an N-plane GaN channel layer 6 on the upper surface of a substrate layer 1 from bottom to top by using a metal organic chemical vapor deposition MOCVD apparatus, wherein the N-plane AlGaN barrier layer 4 and the N-plane GaN channel layer 6 form an N-plane heterojunction. Illustratively, the thickness of the N-plane AlGaN barrier layer 4 is 20-30 nm, and the thickness of the N-plane GaN channel layer 6 is 3-10 nm. And a Si ion doped region 14 with the thickness of 2-3 nm is further formed at the interface of the N-face GaN buffer layer 3 and the N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4, and the doping concentration of the Si ion doped region 14 is 1e 18-9 e18cm -3. In this embodiment, the Si ion doped region 14 is formed by a delta doping technique.
And S2, etching the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 to form a groove extending from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 to the inside of the N-face GaN channel layer 6.
Specifically, referring to fig. 4b, electron beam lithography defines a gate foot region, and BCl 3/Cl2 is used to etch the N-face GaN channel layer 6 to form a trench extending from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 to the inside of the N-face GaN channel layer 6. In this embodiment, the trench is located in the middle of the N-face GaN channel layer 6, and the distance between the bottom of the trench and the lower surface of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 is 3-4 nm.
And S3, preparing an N-face AlGaN cap layer 7;N on the upper surface of the part of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 in the groove and forming a gate groove on the part of the AlGaN cap layer 7 in the groove.
Specifically, referring to fig. 4c, an N-plane AlGaN cap layer 7 is selectively regrown in the trench and on a portion of the upper surface of the N-plane GaN channel layer 6 by a plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy PAMBE technique. An N-face AlGaN cap layer 7 in the trench covers the side surface and the bottom of the trench to form a gate trench. In this embodiment, the thickness of the N-plane AlGaN cap layer 7 is 2 to 5nm.
S4, preparing a source structure extending from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 to the lower surface of the N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4 on one side of the N-face AlGaN cap layer 7.
And S5, preparing a drain structure extending from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 to the lower surface of the N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4 on the other side of the N-face AlGaN cap layer 7.
Specifically, step S5 includes:
S501 referring to FIG. 4d, a source ohmic regrowth region and a drain ohmic regrowth region are defined on the upper surfaces of the N-face GaN channel layers 6 on both sides of the N-face AlGaN cap layer 7 by photoetching respectively, and then the source groove and the drain groove are formed by etching the source ohmic regrowth region and the drain ohmic regrowth region by using SiO 2 as a hard mask by adopting an inductively coupled plasma ICP etching device and adopting a dry etching method. In the present embodiment, both the source recess and the drain recess extend from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 to the lower surface of the N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4.
S502, referring to FIG. 4e, a source doped layer 8 and a drain doped layer 9 are formed by low-temperature selective epitaxy of an N-type heavily doped GaN layer in the source recess and the drain recess by using a PAMBE device. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the source doped layer 8 and the upper surface of the drain doped layer 9 are both higher than the upper surface of the N-plane GaN channel layer 6, and the doping concentrations of the source doped layer 8 and the drain doped layer 9 are 5e19 to 5e20cm -3.
S503 referring to FIG. 4f, etching is performed at both ends of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 by a Cl 2 -based reactive ion etching RIE device to form a device isolation region extending from the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 to the inside of the N-face GaN buffer layer 3.
S504 referring to fig. 4g, source and drain metals are deposited on the upper surfaces of the source and drain doped layers 8 and 9, respectively, using an electron beam evaporation apparatus to form a source electrode 10 and a drain electrode 11. In this embodiment, the source metal and the drain metal are both Ti/Au/Ni/Au stack metals having a thickness of 20nm/100nm/10nm/50nm, respectively.
And S6, preparing a grid electrode 12 in the grid groove.
Specifically, referring to fig. 4h, gate metal is evaporated and stripped from the gate groove and the upper surface of the N-face AlGaN cap layer 7 on the upper surface of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 to form a gate 12. In this embodiment, the gate metal is Ni/Au/Ni stack metal with a thickness of 30nm/300nm/30nm, respectively.
In this embodiment, step S6 further includes:
s7 referring to fig. 4i, siN with a thickness of 20nm is deposited as passivation layer 13 on the surface of N-face GaN channel layer 6, the surface of N-face AlGaN cap layer 7, the surface of source structure, the surface of drain structure, the surface of gate 12 and the device isolation region by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition PECVD technique.
According to the preparation method of the enhanced N-face GaN-based radio frequency power device, the N-face GaN/AlGaN heterojunction is formed through the N-face AlGaN barrier layer 4 and the N-face GaN channel layer 6, and the enhanced device is formed through the preparation of the N-face AlGaN cap layer 7 in the groove, the device prepared through the preparation method provided by the embodiment can modulate the control capability of the grid electrode to the 2DEG through controlling the thickness of the N-face GaN channel layer 6 and the thickness of the N-face AlGaN cap layer 7, the saturated leakage current of the device is not influenced while the grid control capability is improved, and the device prepared through the preparation method provided by the embodiment has better characteristics under higher working frequency.
The foregoing is a further detailed description of the invention in connection with the preferred embodiments, and it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific embodiments described. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that several simple deductions or substitutions may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and these should be considered to be within the scope of the invention.