High-Voltage E-Mode p-GaN Gate HEMT on Sapphire With Gate Termination
Extension
Summary:
High voltage: High voltage refers to the capability of the device (HEMT)to handle
high electric potentials.
E-Mode: Stands for Enhancement-Mode. Enhanced-mode devices are designed to
be normally off(non-conducting) and can be turned on (conducting)by applied a
specific voltage. These devices are considered safer for circuit operation.
p-GaN Gate HEMT: p-GaN Gate HEMT is a transistor with a gate made of p-type
GaN material.
Sapphire: The substrate material on which the device is built. Sapphire (single-
crystal aluminum oxide) is commonly used due to its excellent thermal properties
and electrical insulation.
Gate termination extension: This refers to an extension of the gate structure. It could
be a modification to improve performance, reliability, or other characteristics related
to the gate.
The article discusses an improved type of transistor called an E-mode p-GaN Gate
HEMT with a Gate termination extension (GTE-HEMT), designed for high
power applications. The new device shows a low resistance and a high breakdown
voltage. The GTE-HEMT has achieved a significant breakthrough by surpassing the
conventional p-GaN gate HEMT in breakdown voltage, reaching 2573 V compared
to Conv-HEMT's 1679 V. The structure proposed by the author helps to lower the
electric field at the edge of the gate, which is most likely place for breakdown to
occur. By lowering the electric field, the device can withstand higher voltages
without breaking down. In addition, the dynamic Ron of the GTE-HEMT has been
improved.
The device fabrication process begins with etching the p-GaN layer to form the
GTE, followed by depositing a SiO2 layer for passivation, forming source/drain
contacts, and completing with gate contact formation pads. The fabricated GTE-
HEMTs have LG/LGS/LGD = 5/3/27 µm and a GTE length of around 4 µm. The
thickness of the GTE is around 20 nm, which is optimized to balance the depletion
and conductivity of the p-GaN layer. The authors use the transfer length method
(TLM) to measure the contact and sheet resistance of the p-GaN layer and the 2DEG
channel. The results show good ohmic contact and low resistance values.
Electrical tests - The authors performed electrical tests on the conventional p-GaN
gate HEMT (Conv-HEMT) and the p-GaN gate HEMT with gate termination
extension (GTE-HEMT) using Keysight B1505A and N1267A fast switch. They
compared the transfer, output, reverse conduction, and OFF-state characteristics of
the two devices.
Breakdown voltage enhancement - The authors demonstrated that the GTE-HEMT
achieved a significantly higher breakdown voltage (BV) of 2573 V, which is 1.5
times higher than that of the Conv-HEMT (1679 V). They attributed this
improvement to the reduced electric field peak at the gate edge by the GTE
structure, which is similar to the junction termination extension (JTE) in Si devices.
Dynamic RON improvement - The authors showed that the GTE-HEMT exhibited
a low dynamic RON/static RON of 1.4 and 2.6 at switching voltages of 650 and
1200 V, respectively, while the Conv-HEMT suffered from a severe dynamic RON
degradation with a dynamic RON/static RON of more than 5 for VDS-OFF > 650
V. They explained that the reduction in electric field in the GTE-HEMT alleviated
the trap effects that cause the dynamic RON degradation
Performance benchmarking - The authors benchmarked the RON, SP versus BV
of the GTE-HEMT and other state-of-the-art D/E-mode GaN devices reported in the
literature. They claimed that the GTE-HEMT exhibited excellent performance, with
low RON, SP, high BV, low dynamic RON, and E-mode operation, without using
field plates. They concluded that the GTE-HEMT is a promising solution for high-
voltage power switching applications.
