Electrical Properties of N‐Polar GaN/AlGaN/AlN Grown via Metal‐Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy

Abstract

The metal‐organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) method faces several challenges when used for the growth of N‐polar GaN on foreign substrates, including the presence of a rough surface morphology characterized by step bunching or hexagonal hillocks. In this study, it is aimed to address these issues by establishing optimal growth conditions for the MOVPE method, enabling the growth of N‐polar GaN/Al0.9Ga0.1N/AlN heterostructures with a smooth surface morphology on a vicinal sapphire substrate. The formation of 2D electron gas (2DEG) in N‐polar GaN/AlGaN/AlN prepared using MOVPE is discussed. Additionally, in the study, the impact of growth conditions, such as temperature and V/III ratio, on the electrical properties of N‐polar GaN is investigated. In the results, it is revealed that growth at lower temperatures and a V/III ratio of 30 000 effectively suppresses 3D growth. Moreover, an increase in the V/III ratio correlates with a decrease in residual impurity concentrations (C and H); hence, electron mobility improves. Moreover, the N‐polar GaN/AlGaN/AlN field‐effect transistor, grown under optimized conditions, exhibits a higher maximum drain–source current (IDmax). In these results, possibilities are broadened for the high performance of N‐polar GaN channel high‐electron‐mobility transistors through MOVPE.