Analysis of AlN/AlGaN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor structure by using capacitance-frequency-temperature mapping

Abstract

AlN/AlGaN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure is analyzed by using capacitance-frequency-temperature (C-f-T) mapping. Applying sputtering-deposited AlN, we attained AlN/AlGaN/GaN MIS heterostructure field-effect transistors with much suppressed gate leakage currents, but exhibiting frequency dispersion in C-V characteristics owing to high-density AlN/AlGaN interface states. In order to investigate the interface states deteriorating the device performance, we measured temperature-dependent frequency dispersion in the C-V characteristics. As a result, we obtained C-f-T mapping, whose analysis gives the activation energies of electron trapping, namely the interface state energy levels, for a wide range of the gate biases. This analysis method is auxiliary to the conventional conductance method, serving as a valuable tool for characterization of wide-bandgap devices with deep interface states. From the analysis, we can directly evaluate the gate-control efficiency of the devices.