Heterostructure Field-effect Transistors Research Articles

Heterostructure WSe2/copper hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (F16CuPc) field-effect transistors for efficient suppression of electron transport

The use of the organic semiconductor copper hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (F16CuPc) in WSe2 based heterostructure field-effect transistors (FETs) is shown to result in a large reduction in electron current while not significantly impacting the hole current. This approach is promising for use in p-channel FETs in which electron transport is undesirable and increases leakage currents and power dissipation in the off-state. The reduction in on-state electron currents, by up to three orders of magnitude, is due to the transfer of electrons to the low-mobility states in F16CuPc due to the greater electron affinity of the organic semiconductor compared to WSe2. The off-state currents under a drain bias are reduced by more than four orders of magnitude due to the effective suppression of electron currents. This is a result of the formation of type II heterostructure between F16CuPc and WSe2. Electrons in this heterostructure FET will preferentially transfer to F16CuPc, while holes will tend to remain in the high mobility WSe2 layer. This effect is more marked in monolayer WSe2 based FETs compared to multilayer WSe2 FETs due to a larger difference in electron affinities with respect to F16CuPc. Also, the magnitude of electron current suppression was further enhanced when F16CuPc is deposited only on a part of the channel near the source of WSe2 +F16CuPc FETs.

Preparation of 2D AlxGa1-xN film via printing liquid metals

AlGaN film is a promising barrier layer widely used in high electron mobility transistor. Facile preparation of 2D AlGaN with high quality is still a challenge for traditional process. In this work, high quality 2D AlxGa1-xN (mixture of AlN and GaN) is synthesized by using liquid alloy printing technique and post nitriding treatment. The prepared 2D AlxGa1-xN shows good crystallinity and ultra-wide bandgap of 5.55 eV. Besides, the 2D AlxGa1-xN is a n-type semiconductor and can act as channel layer in field effect transistor. This novel process provides a facile way to obtain 2D AlxGa1-xN film, which will have a potential application in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors.

All-2D CVD-grown semiconductor field-effect transistors with van der Waals graphene contacts

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors and van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures with graphene have generated enormous interest for future electronic, optoelectronic, and energy-harvesting applications. The electronic transport properties and correlations of such hybrid devices strongly depend on the quality of the materials via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, their interfaces and contact properties. However, detailed electronic transport and correlation properties of the 2D semiconductor field-effect transistor (FET) with vdW graphene contacts for understanding mobility limiting factors and metal-insulator transition properties are not explored. Here, we investigate electronic transport in scalable all-2D CVD-grown molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) FET with graphene contacts. The Fermi level of graphene can be readily tuned by a gate voltage to enable a nearly perfect band alignment and, hence, a reduced and tunable Schottky barrier at the contact with good field-effect channel mobility. Detailed temperature-dependent transport measurements show dominant phonon/impurity scattering as a mobility limiting mechanisms and a gate-and bias-induced metal-insulator transition in different temperature ranges, which is explained in light of the variable-range hopping transport. These studies in such scalable all-2D semiconductor heterostructure FETs will be useful for future electronic and optoelectronic devices for a broad range of applications.

Design and fabrication of S-band power amplifier for wireless sensor networks

This paper discusses the process of designing and manufacturing a wideband power amplifier operating in the S-band. To amplify a low power and broadband radio frequency signals from 2.1 GHz to 2.5 GHz, the proposed power amplifier uses a diagram of a two-stages amplification with peak offset amplification frequency 2.3 GHz. The power amplifier is designed with a center frequency difference of 2.2 GHz and 2.4 GHz respectively to achieve a bandwidth of 400 MHz. The proposed power amplifier (PA) uses RF transistor SHF-0589 using gallium arsenide heterostructure field-effect transistor (GaAs HFET) technology for high gain and low power consumption. The complete amplifier achieves power gain 21.1 dB inband 2.1-2.5 GHz and achieve maximum power gain of 22.5 dB at the frequency of 2.4 GHz; the output power rise up to 33 dBm; input reflection coefficient (S11) reaches -19.2 dB and output reflection coefficient reaches -17.2 dB. The designed amplifier circuit can be used for wireless sensor networks operating at S-band.

Charge-Inhomogeneity-Mediated Low-Frequency Noise in One-Dimensional Edge-Contacted Graphene Heterostructure Field Effect Transistors

Charge-Inhomogeneity-Mediated Low-Frequency Noise in One-Dimensional Edge-Contacted Graphene Heterostructure Field Effect Transistors

Reduced temperature in lateral (AlxGa1−x)2O3/Ga2O3 heterojunction field effect transistor capped with nanocrystalline diamond

The low thermal conductivity of β-Ga2O3 is a significant concern for maximizing the potential of this ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor as a power switching device technology. Here, we report on the use of nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) deposited via microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MP-CVD) as a top-side, device-level thermal management solution on a lateral β-Ga2O3 transistor. NCD was grown via MP-CVD on β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3/β-Ga2O3 heterostructures prior to the gate formation of the field-effect transistor. A reduced growth temperature of 400 °C and a SiNx barrier layer were used to protect the oxide semiconductors from etching in the MP-CVD H2 plasma environment. Raman spectroscopy showed a highly sp3-bonded NCD film was obtained at 400 °C, with grain size of about 50–100 nm imaged via atomic force microscopy. The incorporation of the NCD heat-spreading layer resulted in a β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3/β-Ga2O3 heterostructure field-effect transistor showing a decrease in the total thermal resistance at the gate by 42%. The fabrication process, including the NCD etch in the gate region, will need to be improved to minimize the impact of these processes on important device characteristics (i.e., drain current, threshold voltage, and leakage current).

Enhancement mode β-(Al0.19Ga0.81)2O3/Ga2O3 HFETs with superlattice back-barrier layer

In this study, we numerically investigate the improvement in maximum drain current of an enhancement-mode β-(Al0.19Ga0.81)2O3/Ga2O3 heterostructure field-effect transistor (HFET) that employs a superlattice back-barrier layer. The measured transfer characteristics of a recently reported enhancement-mode β-(Al0.19Ga0.81)2O3/Ga2O3 HFET are reproduced using a device simulation and modeling tool. Subsequently, the transfer, output, radio frequency (RF), and off-state breakdown characteristics of the proposed device are revealed. The calculated off-state breakdown voltage is drastically enhanced from 26 V to 93 V for a gate length (LG) of 195 nm and a gate-to-drain separation (LGD) of 190 nm because of the superlattice back-barrier, which is one of the highest breakdown voltages reported for submicron Beta-Gallium Oxide (β-Ga2O3) transistors. Moreover, the insertion of the superlattice back-barrier layer improves subthreshold characteristics, resulting in a positive shift in the threshold voltage. The results indicate that using the superlattice back-barrier can dramatically enhance both the off-state current characteristics and RF characteristics of the enhancement mode in highly scaled β-Ga2O3 HFETs.

(Invited) Switching Characteristics of GaN Power Transistors

A shorter switching time is one of the key advantages of GaN power devices over Si IGBTs. [1] In this paper, we report on the simulation of GaN power transistor switching and investigate the effect on the switching time novel design approaches ranging from the gate edge engineering (beyond just using field plates [2] for optimizing the voltage distribution in the drain-to-gate spacing to using the quantum well channel designs [3] that lead to the electron wave function penetration into wide band gap cladding layers with the commensurate increase in the breakdown voltage while keeping the advantage of high mobility in the device channel. We also report on the effect of a low conducting passivation for smoothing or even eliminating the sharp maximum of the electric field in the vicinity of the gate and field plate edges on switching time.[4] Additional contacts in the drain-to-gate spacing for the field control and variable doping implants could also decrease the switching time. Further optimization could be achieved with the perforated channel designs [5] decreasing the parasitic series resistance and improving the heat dissipation.[1] A. Tüysüz, R. Bosshard, and J. W. Kolar, erformance Comparison of a GaN GIT and a Si IGBT for High-Speed Drive Applications, Proceedings of the International Power Electronics Conference - ECCE Asia (IPEC 2014), Hiroshima, Japan, May 18-21, 2014[2] S. Karmalkar, M. S. Shur, G. Simin and M. A. Khan, Field-Plate Engineering for Heterostructure Field Effect Transistors, IEEE Trans. ED, 52, 12, pp. 2516- 2532, December (2005)[3] M. Dyakonov and M. S. Shur, Consequences of Space Dependence of Effective Mass in Heterostructures, J. Appl. Phys. Vol. 84, No. 7, pp. 3726-3730, October 1 (1998)[4] G. Simin, M. Shur and R. Gaska, SETI-0070: Semiconductor device with low-conducting field-controlling element App. No 13/396,059, November 19, 2013 as US Patent No. 8,586,997[5] G. Simin, M. Gaevski, M. Shur, R. Gaska, Perforated Channel Field Effect Transistor, US patent 9,467,105, October 11, 2016

Study of electrical transport properties in split-gate AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors

In this study, we fabricated two similar split-gate AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors (SG AlGaN/GaN HFETs). However, minor variations in structural design resulted in substantial differences in the current–voltage characteristics. The mechanism of current modulation in the open region of the HFET can be explained by the fringe electric field (FEF) effect and the polarization Coulomb field (PCF) scattering for the applied biased split-gate. In particular, the effects of FEF and PCF scattering on the two-dimensional electron gas in the open region were analyzed separately when only the open region was on. Experimental results and TCAD simulation reveal the role of PCF scattering in SG AlGaN/GaN HFETs and provide evidence for the universality of PCF scattering in electronic devices with the AlGaN/GaN heterostructure. This study is meaningful for the structural optimization and electrical performance enhancement of SG AlGaN/GaN HFETs.

Study on the frequency characteristics of split-gate AlGaN/GaN HFETs

In this study, we report on the direct-current (DC) and frequency characteristics of split-gate heterostructure field-effect transistors (HFETs) with different split-gate lengths. The split-gate HFET contains two distinct operating parts, the large and the small transconductance parts. The split-gate HFET has a current cutoff frequency ([Formula: see text]) of 814[Formula: see text]MHz and a maximum oscillation frequency ([Formula: see text]) of 18.8[Formula: see text]GHz in the large transconductance part. Meanwhile, in the small transconductance part, there is a higher unilateral power gain of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]GHz. Also, the split-gate HFET exhibits a voltage gain greater than 1 (0[Formula: see text]dB) at both DC and frequencies. Additionally, compared to the large transconductance part, the small transconductance part of the split-gate HFET presents a 53.5% reduction in DC power consumption and a larger input signal voltage range. Split-gate HFETs can be used as conventional power amplifiers in the large transconductance part and are also suitable as low-power voltage amplifiers in the small transconductance part.

Effect of device size on conduction channel effective width and polarization Coulomb field scattering intensity of split-gate AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors

In this study, the ungated AlGaN/GaN devices with special mesa structures were designed. The hypothesis of effective width expansion was tested experimentally by using ungated samples with different sizes, and an empirical expression for calculating the conduction channel effective width was given according to the experimental results. Finally, split-gate AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors (HFETs) with different gate lengths were prepared, and the channel electron mobility of split-gate samples was calculated by using the empirical expression and polarization Coulomb field (PCF) scattering theoretical model. The results showed that, for split-gate AlGaN/GaN HFETs, with the increase in the gate length, the total amount of additional polarization charges underneath the gate increases, resulting in the enhancement of the PCF scattering intensity.

Optimized photoelectric performance of MoS2/graphene heterostructure device induced by swift heavy ion irradiation

Two-dimensional materials with exceptional electronic and photoelectric properties are expected to develop a new-generation of ultrathin, high efficiency, broadband, and flexible photodetectors. For the potential application towards outer space exploration, the harsh irradiation environment must be taken into consideration. In this work, irradiation effects of MoS2/Graphene heterostructure field effect transistors (MoS2/G FETs) induced by swift heavy ions (SHIs) were explored. After irradiation, a new Raman peak denoted as D peak emerged, which demonstrated that SHI irradiation induced damage in graphene. Photoluminescence investigation of MoS2 indicated that SHI irradiation activated the excitation conversion of trion A− to excitation A0. Latent tracks were observed on MoS2/G/SiO2 by using atomic force microscope. The decreased resistance and increased carrier mobilities were detected at fluence lower than 5 × 1010 ions/cm2, which could be ascribed to the localized annealing of graphene during irradiation. The increased photocurrent and responsivity at fluence lower than 1 × 1010 ions/cm2 could be interpreted as the enhanced photoinduced gate voltage resulting from the SHI irradiation induced defects in MoS2/G FET. The devices were deteriorated at fluence of 1 × 1011 ions/cm2. The optimized and degraded properties of the devices could be ascribed to competition among doping, local annealing and defect scattering.

Non-linear pH responses of passivated graphene-based field-effect transistors

Graphene-based field-effect transistors (FETs) are suitable for pH sensors due to their outstanding surface chemical properties and its biocompatibility. To improve the devices' stability and pH sensitivity, different sets of dielectric passivation layers composed of monolayer hexagonal boron nitride with and without aluminum oxide layers were evaluated. Non-linearities of the pH response were observed. Heterostructure FETs were derived from subtractive manufacturing of commercially transferred two-dimensional materials on four-inch SiO2/Si wafers via stainless steel and polypropylene masking. Phosphate solutions (10 mM) of varying pH were incubated on bare devices, whereby liquid-gating elucidated linear changes in the Dirac voltage of hBN/graphene (−40 mV/pH) that was smaller than a device consisting only of monolayer graphene (−47 mV/pH). Graphene-based FETs were passivated with aluminum oxide nanofilms via electron beam or atomic layer deposition and were observed to have distinct Raman spectral properties and atomic force microscopy topologies corroborating the hypothesis that morphological differences of the deposited aluminum oxide influence the pH-dependent electrical properties. Atomic layer deposition of aluminum oxide on the 2D sensing areas resulted in non-linear shifting of the Dirac voltage with respect to pH that evolved as a function of deposition thickness and was distinct between graphene with and without hexagonal boron nitride as a capping monolayer. The non-linear response of varying thickness of AlxOy on graphene-based FETs was progressively reduced upon basic wet etching of the AlxOy. Overall, passivated graphene-based transistors exhibit deposition-dependent pH responses.

Germanium wafers for strained quantum wells with low disorder

We grow strained Ge/SiGe heterostructures by reduced-pressure chemical vapor deposition on 100 mm Ge wafers. The use of Ge wafers as substrates for epitaxy enables high-quality Ge-rich SiGe strain-relaxed buffers with a threading dislocation density of (6±1)×105 cm−2, nearly an order of magnitude improvement compared to control strain-relaxed buffers on Si wafers. The associated reduction in short-range scattering allows for a drastic improvement of the disorder properties of the two-dimensional hole gas, measured in several Ge/SiGe heterostructure field-effect transistors. We measure an average low percolation density of (1.22±0.03)×1010 cm−2 and an average maximum mobility of (3.4±0.1)×106 cm2/Vs and quantum mobility of (8.4±0.5)×104 cm2/Vs when the hole density in the quantum well is saturated to (1.65±0.02)×1011 cm−2. We anticipate immediate application of these heterostructures for next-generation, higher-performance Ge spin-qubits, and their integration into larger quantum processors.

(Invited) Optical Properties and Device Application of One-Dimensional Vdw Heterostructures Based on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

A typical one-dimensional (1D) van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure consists of SWCNT, boron nitride nanotube (BNNT), and molybdenum disulfide nanotube (MoS2NT), grown coaxially by successive chemical vapor deposition (CVD) steps [1, 2]. The coaxially nested structure based on SWCNTs, which has diverse electronic properties (metallic or semiconducting), can expand the board application possibilities of 1D vdW heterostructures [3]. By comparing the optical properties of films of BNNT@MoS2NT and SWCNT@BNNT@MoS2NT, we found strong photoluminescence (PL) from monolayer MoS2NT and quenching of PL by coupling to SWCNT through thin BNNT [4]. The inter-tube excitons are demonstrated by ultrafast optical spectroscopy [5]. The inter-tube excitons, the counterpart of inter-layer excitons for 2D heterostructures, suggest a possibility of efficient photovoltaic applications of the 1D heterostructure [6]. In addition to MoS2 nanotubes, we will discuss the growth control of WS2 and NbS2 nanotubes. A general strategy we can tune the CVD condition from 2D flake to 1D tube is proposed. The junctions of MoS2 and WS2 nanotube are also realized as the outermost layer. More specific optical properties are studied for semiconductor SWCNTs and chirality-sorted SWCNTs [7,8]. Semiconductor SWCNT or chirality-sorted SWCNT wrapped with BNNT can be regarded as the ideal building blocks of field-effect transistors (FET) [9]. We have demonstrated the radial semiconductor–insulator–semiconductor (S-I-S) tunneling heterojunction diode by using a micrometer long 1D vdW heterostructure SWCNT@BNNT@MoS2NT [10]. We will discuss a more recent array of 1D heterostructure FET devices.Part of this work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP20H00220, and by JST, CREST Grant Number JPMJCR20B5, Japan.

Investigation of Electrical Properties of N‐Polar AlGaN/AlN Heterostructure Field‐Effect Transistors

AlN‐based field‐effect transistors (FETs) enable high‐breakdown voltage, high drain current, and high‐temperature operation. To realize high‐frequency devices, N‐polar AlGaN/AlN heterostructure FETs are focused on. N‐polar Al0.1Ga0.9N/Al0.9Ga0.1N/AlN FET is fabricated using metal–organic vapor‐phase epitaxy, and its electrical characteristics are evaluated. An N‐polar AlN layer is grown on a sapphire substrate with a misorientation angle of 2.0° toward m‐axis, on which a 20 nm thick Al0.9Ga0.1N base layer and a 20 nm Al0.1Ga0.9N channel layer are grown. The static FET operation is confirmed to exhibit an n‐channel and pinch‐off. Normally, during operation with a turn‐on voltage of −3.2 V, a high operating breakdown voltage of 620 V and high operating temperature of 280 °C are also confirmed.

Detection of HER-3 with an AlGaN/GaN-Based Ion-Sensitive Heterostructure Field Effect Transistor Biosensor.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor-3 (HER-3) plays a key role in the growth and metastasis of cancer cells. The detection of HER-3 is very important for early screening and treatment of cancer. The AlGaN/GaN-based ion-sensitive heterostructure field effect transistor (ISHFET) is sensitive to surface charges. This makes it a promising candidate for the detection of HER-3. In this paper, we developed a biosensor for the detection of HER-3 with AlGaN/GaN-based ISHFET. The AlGaN/GaN-based ISHFET biosensor exhibits a sensitivity of 0.53 ± 0.04 mA/dec in 0.01 M phosphate buffer saline (1× PBS) (pH = 7.4) solution with 4% bovine serum albumin (BSA) at a source and drain voltage of 2 V. The detection limit is 2 ng/mL. A higher sensitivity (2.20 ± 0.15 mA/dec) can be achieved in 1× PBS buffer solution at a source and drain voltage of 2 V. The AlGaN/GaN-based ISHFET biosensor can be used for micro-liter (5 μL) solution measurements and the measurement can be performed after incubation of 5 min.

Sub-bandgap photon-assisted electron trapping and detrapping in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors

We have investigated photon-assisted trapping and detrapping of electrons injected from the gate under negative bias in a heterostructure field-effect transistor (HFET). The electron injection rate from the gate was found to be dramatically affected by sub-bandgap laser illumination. The trapped electrons reduced the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) density at the AlGaN/GaN heterointerface but could also be emitted from their trap states by sub-bandgap photons, leading to a recovery of 2DEG density. The trapping and detrapping dynamics were found to be strongly dependent on the wavelength and focal position of the laser, as well as the gate bias stress time prior to illumination of the HFET. Applying this phenomenon of trapping and detrapping assisted by sub-bandgap photons, red, green, and purple lasers were used to demonstrate photo-assisted dynamic switching operations by manipulation of trapped carriers at the surface of an AlGaN/GaN HFET. A physical model based on band diagrams, explaining the trapping and detrapping behavior of electrons, has been presented.

Undoped Strained Ge Quantum Well with Ultrahigh Mobility of Two Million.

We develop a method to fabricate an undoped Ge quantum well (QW) under a 32 nm relaxed Si0.2Ge0.8 shallow barrier. The bottom barrier contains Si0.2Ge0.8 (650 °C) and Si0.1Ge0.9 (800 °C) such that variation of Ge content forms a sharp interface that can suppress the threading dislocation density (TDD) penetrating into the undoped Ge quantum well. The SiGe barrier introduces enough in-plane parallel strain (ε∥ strain -0.41%) in the Ge quantum well. The heterostructure field-effect transistors with a shallow buried channel obtain an ultrahigh two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG) mobility over 2 × 106 cm2/(V s) and a very low percolation density of (5.689 ± 0.062) × 1010 cm-2. The fractional indication is also observed at high density and high magnetic fields. This strained germanium as a noise mitigation material provides a platform for integration of quantum computation with a long coherence time and fast all-electrical manipulation.

Novel GaN-based double-channel p-heterostructure field-effect transistors with a p-GaN insertion layer

GaN-based p-channel heterostructure field-effect transistors (p-HFETs) face significant constraints on on-state currents compared with n-channel high electron mobility transistors. In this work, we propose a novel double heterostructure which introduces an additional p-GaN insertion layer into traditional p-HFETs. The impact of the device structure on the hole densities and valence band energies of both the upper and lower channels is analyzed by using Silvaco TACD simulations, including the thickness of the upper AlGaN layer and the doping impurities and concentration in the GaN buffer layer, as well as the thickness and Mg-doping concentration in the p-GaN insertion layer. With the help of the p-GaN insertion layer, the C-doping concentration in the GaN buffer layer can be reduced, while the density of the two-dimensional hole gas in the lower channel is enhanced at the same time. This work suggests that a double heterostructure with a p-GaN insertion layer is a better approach to improve p-HFETs compared with those devices with C-doped buffer layer alone.