Experimental and theoretical investigation of geometric and compositional factors in improving the off-state breakdown voltage, reliability, and enhancement-mode operation among GaN channel hetero-structure field effect transistors

几何和成分因素在提高 GaN 沟道异质结构场效应晶体管断态击穿电压、可靠性和增强模式操作方面的实验和理论研究

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-05656
• 负责人: Valizadeh, Pouya
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: Concordia University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=717789
• 关键词: Experimental; theoretical; investigation; geometric; compositional

More than two decades of research on polar III-Nitride hetero-structure field effect transistors (HFETs) has resulted in rapidly growing markets in the areas of high-frequency power-amplifiers/RF-switches and high-temperature/high-voltage power electronic switches. As the market-share is passing the billion-dollar mark, innovative solutions in-tune with the particulars of these polar hetero-structures for improving their power-handling/heat-management, and for reliable realization of both enhancement- and depletion-modes of operation (i.e. having positive and negative threshold-voltage, respectively) are gaining a more prominent status. With the improvement in techniques of hetero-epitaxy and availability of reliable sources providing the less explored AlInGaN/GaN hetero-structures, taking advantage of lattice-matching to the GaN channel and examining the less-explored compositional and geometric structures towards improving the long-term reliability, enhancing the possibility of achieving stable enhancement-mode operation, and extending the breakdown voltage are all very timely. Combing the now-proven possibilities of shifting the threshold-voltage towards enhancement-mode operation and reducing the self-heating (both realized through modifying the mesa structure of the isolation-feature), with the offered opportunity to tailor the drain-induced electric-field due to the proximity of Fermi-level pinned sidewall facets is expected to not only offer ways to achieve reliable enhancement-mode III-Nitride HFETs, but also to boost their off-state breakdown voltage. While traditionally off-state breakdown voltage is boosted by employing the so-called field-plates (i.e. extensions to the gate electrode and hence capacitance), tailoring the electric-field via the presence of pinned side-wall facets in the close proximity of the channel can partially lift the burden on the frequency response for a higher breakdown voltage. With the help of the previous Discovery grants, PI's team has proudly managed to develop an e-beam lithography process poised for successfully performing the experimental tasks identified in the current proposal. Along with the contributions of the PI to understanding of the aforementioned phenomena, a few other groups are also currently involved in lively technological endeavors in this area. Under the support of the present Discovery grant application, PI intends to continue his groundbreaking work on exploring the aforementioned alternatives for improving the off-state breakdown voltage, long-term reliability, and frequency response among enhancement mode GaN-channel HFETs. The ideas presented in this proposal have the possibility of generating patentable concepts and in the long-term establishing future joint ventures with automobile and telecommunication industries. The latter of which is presently poised to take advantage of III-Nitride HFETs in 5G networks and developing internet of things (IOT) applications.

对高频功率放大器/RF-switches和高温/高电压电力电动机开关的领域，对极地III氮化物杂构效应晶体管（HFET）的研究已有二十多年的研究导致了迅速增长的市场。随着市场份额的经过数十亿美元的标记，创新的解决方案与这些极性异质结构的细节相结合，以改善其强力处理/热量管理，并可靠地实现增强功能和耗尽操作模式（即具有正面和负面的阈值，分别具有正面和负threshold-eveltage）的状态。 随着异性持续性技术的改进以及可靠来源的可用性，提供了较少探索的Alingan/Gan异质结构，利用与晶格匹配到GAN渠道的优势，并检查了长期可靠性，以提高稳定的稳定性，并促进了稳定的稳定性，并促进了长期的可靠性。 Combing the now-proven possibilities of shifting the threshold-voltage towards enhancement-mode operation and reducing the self-heating (both realized through modifying the mesa structure of the isolation-feature), with the offered opportunity to tailor the drain-induced electric-field due to the proximity of Fermi-level pinned sidewall facets is expected to not only offer ways to achieve reliable enhancement-mode III-Nitride HFET，但也可以提高其局部故障电压。尽管传统上，通过使用所谓的野外板（即向栅极电极的扩展，因此电容的扩展）来增强外击故障电压，从而通过固定的侧壁面板在频道的紧密接近度中通过固定的侧壁方面来量身定制电场，这可以使频道的频率响应较高的频率响应，从而使较高的击球频率响应负担。 在先前的发现赠款的帮助下，PI的团队自豪地设法开发了一个电子束光刻过程，该过程有望成功执行当前建议中确定的实验任务。除了PI对上述现象的理解的贡献外，其他一些群体目前还参与了该领域的生动技术努力。在当前的发现赠款申请的支持下，PI打算继续他的开创性工作，以探索上述替代方案，以改善州外崩溃的电压，长期可靠性和增强模式GAN通道HFET的频率响应。 本提案中提出的想法有可能产生可专利的概念，并在长期建立与汽车和电信行业的未来合资企业中。后者目前有望利用5G网络中的III氮化物HFET并开发物联网（IoT）应用程序。