Improvement of device isolation using field implantation for GaN MOSFETs

Abstract

Gallium nitride (GaN) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) with boron field implantation isolation and mesa isolation were fabricated and characterized. The process of boron field implantation was altered and subsequently conducted after performing high-temperature ohmic annealing and gate oxide thermal treatment. Implanted regions with high resistivity were achieved. The circular MOSFET fabricated in the implanted region showed an extremely low current of 6.5 × 10−12 A under a gate voltage value up to 10 V, thus demonstrating that the parasitic MOSFET in the isolation region was eliminated by boron field implantation. The off-state drain current of the rectangular MOSFET with boron field implantation was 5.5 × 10−11 A, which was only one order of magnitude higher than the 6.6 × 10−12 A of the circular device. By contrast, the rectangular MOSFET with mesa isolation presented an off-state drain current of 3.2 × 10−9 A. The field isolation for GaN MOSFETs was achieved by using boron field implantation. The implantation did not reduce the field-effect mobility. The isolation structure of both mesa and implantation did not influence the subthreshold swing, whereas the isolation structure of only the implantation increased the subthreshold swing. The breakdown voltage of the implanted region with 5 μm spacing was up to 901.5 V.