Interplay between C-doping, threading dislocations, breakdown, and leakage in GaN on Si HEMT structures

AIP Advances, vol. 10

Abstract

This work describes electrical characteristics and the correlation to material properties of high electron mobility transistor structures with a C-doped GaN current blocking layer, grown either by an extrinsic or auto-doping process with different doping levels. Increasing degradation of crystalline quality in terms of threading dislocation density for increasing C-doping levels was observed for all samples. Different growth conditions used for the auto-doped samples played no role for overall degradation, but a higher fraction of threading screw dislocations was observed. Independent of the doping process, 90% of all TSDs were noted to act as strong leakage current paths through the AlGaN barrier. This was found statistically and was directly verified by conductive atomic force microscopy in direct correlation with defect selective etching. Vertical breakdown was observed to increase with increasing C-concentration and saturated for C-concentrations above around 1019 cm−3. This was attributed to an increasing compensation of free charge carriers until self-compensation takes place. A progressive influence of TDs for high C-concentrations might also play a role but could not be explicitly revealed for our material.

Authors 10

1. Sven Besendörfer corresponding Aachen 3Compound Semiconductor Technology

   Aixtron (Germany) · Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB 1 , Schottkystr. 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

   3Compound Semiconductor Technology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany

   4AIXTRON SE, 52134 Herzogenrath, Germany

2. Elke Meißner

   Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg · Aixtron (Germany) · Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair of Electron Devices, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg 2 , Cauerstr. 6, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

   Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB 1 , Schottkystr. 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

   4AIXTRON SE, 52134 Herzogenrath, Germany

3. Thorsten Zweipfennig Aachen Compound Semiconductor Technology

   Aixtron (Germany) · Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Compound Semiconductor Technology, RWTH Aachen University 3 , 52074 Aachen, Germany

   1Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB, Schottkystr. 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

   4AIXTRON SE, 52134 Herzogenrath, Germany

4. Hady Yacoub Aachen Compound Semiconductor Technology

   Aixtron (Germany) · Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Compound Semiconductor Technology, RWTH Aachen University 3 , 52074 Aachen, Germany

   1Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB, Schottkystr. 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

   4AIXTRON SE, 52134 Herzogenrath, Germany

5. Dirk Fahle Aachen 3Compound Semiconductor Technology

   Aixtron (Germany) · Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   AIXTRON SE 4 , 52134 Herzogenrath, Germany

   1Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB, Schottkystr. 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

   3Compound Semiconductor Technology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany

6. Hannes Behmenburg Aachen 3Compound Semiconductor Technology

   Aixtron (Germany) · Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   AIXTRON SE 4 , 52134 Herzogenrath, Germany

   1Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB, Schottkystr. 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

   3Compound Semiconductor Technology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany

7. H. Kalisch Aachen Compound Semiconductor Technology

   Aixtron (Germany) · Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Compound Semiconductor Technology, RWTH Aachen University 3 , 52074 Aachen, Germany

   1Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB, Schottkystr. 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

   4AIXTRON SE, 52134 Herzogenrath, Germany

8. Andrei Vescan Aachen Compound Semiconductor Technology

   Aixtron (Germany) · Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Compound Semiconductor Technology, RWTH Aachen University 3 , 52074 Aachen, Germany

   1Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB, Schottkystr. 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

   4AIXTRON SE, 52134 Herzogenrath, Germany

9. Jochen Friedrich Aachen 3Compound Semiconductor Technology

   Aixtron (Germany) · Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB 1 , Schottkystr. 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

   3Compound Semiconductor Technology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany

   4AIXTRON SE, 52134 Herzogenrath, Germany

10. Tobias Erlbacher

    Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg · Aixtron (Germany) · Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology

    Affiliation as printed

    Chair of Electron Devices, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg 2 , Cauerstr. 6, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

    Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB 1 , Schottkystr. 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

    4AIXTRON SE, 52134 Herzogenrath, Germany