GaN MIS-HEMTs With Surface Reinforcement for Suppressed Hot-Electron-Induced Degradation

We report a processing technique to form a surface reinforcement layer (SRL) in GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor high-electron mobility transistors (MIS-HEMTs) with the aim to suppress device dynamic on-resistance (R-ON) degradation caused by long-term hot-electron stress. The SRL is a crystalline (Al)GaON layer formed by reconstruction of the heterojunction surface through plasma oxidation and high temperature annealing. MIS-HEMTs with SRL exhibit substantially suppressed dynamic R-ON degradation than the conventional devices without SRL, after long-term hot-electron stress. The (Al)GaON SRL exhibits substantially enhanced thermal stability and strong immunity to energetic carriers. The SRL-enabled suppression of hot-electron-induced degradation is further verified by the electroluminescence characterizations.

Automated summary

Surface reinforcement layer (SRL) formed in GaN MIS-HEMTs can effectively suppress device dynamic on-resistance degradation caused by long-term hot-electron stress, with enhanced thermal stability and strong immunity to energetic carriers. This suppression is further verified by electroluminescence characterizations.