Sensitivity Analysis Of Algan Gan High Electron Mobility Transistors To Process Variation

This thesis deals with the analysis and optimization of some of the most prominent non-ideal effects in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors used in microwave applications as well as the optimization of the RF gain. The effect of current collapse, the root cause of leakage currents as well as field-dependent self-heating effects have been investigated by eletrical characterization using well established techniques and have been analyzed using 2-dimensional physical device simulations. It will be shown that the origin of all effects is strongly related to the device surface and some are even competing effects making device optimization a challenge. However, a detailed localization of the regions affecting device performance will be given leading to a better understanding for fabrication process optimization. Finally, I simulation study is conducted giving suggestions for RF gain improvement based on very simple device layout variations.

AlGaN/GaN HEMTs reliability and stability issues were investigated in dependence on epitaxial design and process modification. DC-Step-Stress-Tests have been performed on wafers as a fast device robustness screening method. As a criterion of robustness they deliver a critical source-drain voltage for the onset of degradation. Several degradation modes were observed which depend on epi design, epi quality and process technology. Electrical and optical characterizations together with electric field simulations were performed to get insight into respective degradation modes. It has been found that AlGaN/GaN HEMT devices with GaN cap show higher critical source-drain voltages as compared to non-capped devices. Devices with low Al concentration in the AlGaN barrier layer also show higher critical source-drain voltages. Superior stability and robustness performance have been achieved from devices with AlGaN backbarrier epi design grown on n-type SiC substrate. For the onset on any degradation modes the presence of high electrical fields is most decisive for ON- and OFF-state operation conditions. Therefore careful epi design to reduce high electric field is mandatory. It is also shown that epi buffer quality and growth process have a great impact on device robustness. Defects such as point defects and dislocations are assumed to be created initially during stressing and accumulated to larger defect clusters during device stressing. Electroluminescence (EL) measurements were performed to detect early degradation. Extended localized defects are resulting as bright spots at OFF-state conditions in conjunction with a gate leakage increase.

Abstract: GaN based devices have reached a point in terms of processing maturity where the favorable wide-band gap related properties can be implemented in several commercial and military applications. However, long term reliability continues to affect large scale integration of such devices, specifically the potential of AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs), due to the indefinite nature of defects in the structure and mechanisms of performance degradation relevant to such defects. Recent efforts have begun to concentrate more on the bulk properties of the GaN buffer on which the heterostructure is grown, and how defects distributed in the buffer can affect the performance under various operating schemes. This dissertation discusses numerical simulator based investigation of the numerous possibilities by which such point defects can affect electrical behavior. For HEMTs designed for satellite communication systems, proton irradiation results indicate changes in the device parasitics resulting in degradation of RF parameters. Assumption of such radiation damage introducing fast traps indicate severe degradation far exceeding experimental observation. For power switching applications, the necessity of accurately capturing as-grown defects was realized when modeling current relaxation during bias switching. Ability to introduce multiple trap levels in the material bulk aided in achieving simulation results replicating experimental results more accurately than published previously. Impact of factors associated with such traps, either associated with discrete energy levels or band-like distribution in energy, on the nature of current relaxation characterized by its derivative has been presented. Dissertation Discovery Company and University of Florida are dedicated to making scholarly works more discoverable and accessible throughout the world. This dissertation, "Dynamic Performance Simulation of AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors" by Shrijit Mukherjee, was obtained from University of Florida and is being sold with permission from the author. A digital copy of this work may also be found in the university's institutional repository, IR@UF. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation.