Enhancing the Performance of E-Mode AlGaN/GaN HEMTs With Recessed Gates Through Low-Damage Neutral Beam Etching and Post-Metallization Annealing

oleh: Yi-Ho Chen, Daisuke Ohori, Muhammad Aslam, Yao-Jen Lee, Yiming Li, Seiji Samukawa

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: IEEE 2023-01-01

Deskripsi

This study investigated the electrical properties of AlGaN&#x002F;GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) with varied recess depths under the gate electrode. We demonstrated a recess depth of approximately 6 nm, which was achieved through neutral beam etching (NBE) technique with a low etch rate of 1.8 nm&#x002F;min, resulting in device enhancement-mode (E-mode) behavior with threshold voltage (V<sub>th</sub>) of 0.49 V. The effects of post-metallization annealing (PMA) on the device performance were also examined. The results revealed that PMA treatment improves the DC characteristics of the devices, including maximum drain current (I<sub>DMAX</sub>), transconductance (g<sub>m</sub>), subthreshold swing (SS), on-off ratio, and off-state leakage current, with maximum enhancement percentage of 18.3&#x0025; for I<sub>DMAX</sub>, 3758&#x0025; for on-off ratio, and 54.3&#x0025; for SS. Moreover, this study compared the recess depths of metal-insulator-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors (MIS-HEMTs) with the SiN dielectric layer. The results showed that MIS-HEMTs exhibit more negative V<sub>th</sub> values, which can be attributed to the controlled surface states achieved through passivation.