p-GaN Layer Research Articles

(Invited) Ultrahigh Efficiency Excitonic Micro-LEDs

To date, it has remained challenging to achieve high efficiency micro-LEDs, which are desired for next generation displays and virtual/augmented reality. The performance degradation with reducing dimensions for conventional LEDs has been largely attributed to the plasma damage induced on the mesa sidewalls. Here, we show such a fundamental challenge can be overcome by developing nanowire excitonic LEDs. In this study, InGaN/GaN nanowire LED heterostructures were grown on N-polar GaN-on-sapphire substrates utilizing selective area epitaxy. Studies have shown that the exciton binding energy in strain-relaxed InGaN nanostructures can be dramatically enhanced. Due to the strong Coulombic interaction between electrons and holes, the impact of nonradiative SRH recombination on the performance of an excitonic LED is significantly reduced. By exploiting the large exciton oscillator strength of quantum-confined nanostructures, we have achieved an external quantum efficiency (EQE) exceeding 25% for a green-emitting device with lateral dimensions less than 1 micrometer, which is the highest value reported for any LEDs of this size to the best of our knowledge. It is further observed that the EQE and output power of the excitonic LED show a significantly faster rising trend with current injection, compared to conventional devices. We have identified several important factors for achieving high efficiency excitonic LEDs, including the epitaxy of nanostructures to achieve strain relaxation and reduced dislocation densities and the formation of three-dimensional quantum-confinement to enhance electron-hole wavefunction overlap. We have further investigated the effect of Mg incorporation in p-GaN layer on the device performance. We found out that an optimized Mg dopant incorporation in nanowire structures can contribute significantly to the efficiency of micro-LEDs. We have measured significantly enhanced performance by optimizing Mg dopant incorporation, which leads to reduced leakage current and improved EQE. For example, for a red-emitting micro-LED, a peak external quantum efficiency of >8% was measured for a device with a lateral dimension less than one micrometer by optimizing Mg-dopant incorporation. Through these studies, we show that by harnessing the exciton oscillator strength of nearly dislocation-free nanostructures, together with a careful optimization of p-doping in the contact layer, the efficiency bottleneck of micro-LEDs can be addressed.Conflict of interest: Some IP related to this work has been licensed to NS Nanotech, Inc., which was co-founded by Z. Mi. The University of Michigan and Mi have a financial interest in the company.

Effect of p-GaN layer and High-k material in InGaN/GaN LED for optical performance enhancement

Effect of p-GaN layer and High-k material in InGaN/GaN LED for optical performance enhancement

Effect of hydrogen poisoning on p-gate AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

In this work, we investigate the degradation behavior and mechanism of p-gate AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) for the first time under hydrogen (H2) atmosphere. The experimental results reveal significant decrease in drain-to-source current, negative drift in threshold voltage, increase in off-state gate leakage current, and deterioration of subthreshold swing in the p-gate AlGaN/GaN HEMT after H2 treatment. The degradation of the electrical parameters is considered to hydrogen poisoning phenomenon. Through secondary ion mass spectrometry and variable temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy, we observe the increase in hydrogen concentration in the p-GaN layer and the formation of electrically inactive Mg–H complexes after H2 treatment. As results, the effective hole concentration decreases and the trap density of the device increases, which are confirmed by Hall effect measurement and low-frequency noise analysis, respectively. The detrimental effect of hydrogen on p-gate AlGaN/GaN HEMTs can be attributed primarily to the compensation of Mg doping and the generation of defects.

Monolithic E/D-mode P-GaN/AlGaN/GaN HFETs using reactivation annealing process

A reactivation annealing process was developed to restore the deactivated p-type characteristics of an Mg-doped p-type GaN layer subsequent to exposure to the SiNx passivation step in a p-GaN gated AlGaN/GaN heterojunction field-effect transistor (HFET). The deactivation, induced by the formation of H–Mg complexes during the passivation process, necessitates an additional activation annealing procedure. Notably, it was observed that the passivation film on the p-GaN layer must be removed through etching prior to annealing, aiming to eliminate H atoms from H–Mg complexes. The reactivation annealing process was conducted at 800 °C. Employing this reactivation approach, we successfully demonstrated monolithic enhancement- and depletion-mode p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN HFETs.

Wafer-Scale Characterization of 1692-Pixel-Per-Inch Blue Micro-LED Arrays with an Optimized ITO Layer.

Wafer-scale blue micro-light-emitting diode (micro-LED) arrays were fabricated with a pixel size of 12 μm, a pixel pitch of 15 μm, and a pixel density of 1692 pixels per inch, achieved by optimizing the properties of e-beam-deposited and sputter-deposited indium tin oxide (ITO). Although the sputter-deposited ITO (S-ITO) films exhibited a densely packed morphology and lower resistivity compared to the e-beam-deposited ITO (E-ITO) films, the forward voltage (VF) values of a micro-LED with the S-ITO films were higher than those with the E-ITO films. The VF values for a single pixel and for four pixels with E-ITO films were 2.82 V and 2.83 V, respectively, while the corresponding values for S-ITO films were 3.50 V and 3.52 V. This was attributed to ion bombardment damage and nitrogen vacancies in the p-GaN layer. Surprisingly, the VF variations of a single pixel and of four pixels with the optimized E-ITO spreading layer from five different regions were only 0.09 V and 0.10 V, respectively. This extremely uniform VF variation is suitable for creating micro-LED displays to be used in AR and VR applications, circumventing the bottleneck in the development of long-lifespan and high-brightness organic LED devices for industrial mass production.

Novel high-voltage GaN CAVET with high threshold voltage and low reverse conduction loss

A novel GaN current-aperture vertical electron transistor (CAVET) with an energy band pinning (EBP) structure (EBP-CAVET) is proposed and investigated by simulations. The EBP-CAVET is featured with hybrid contacts on the p-GaN layer, locally having Ohmic contact combined with Schottky gate metals in the longitudinal direction. The Ohmic contact is shorted to the source electrode and the Schottky gate metals are shorted to the gate electrode. The conduction band (Ec) in the gate region is modulated by the alternately arranged contacts. In the Ohmic contact region, Ec remains a fixed value, which acts as an energy band pinning and suppresses the variation of the Ec in the gate region. In the on-state (VGS > 0 V) and blocking-state with high VDS, the EBP structure inhibits the Ec shifting downwards in the gate region to achieve a high threshold voltage (Vth), a low leakage current density (Jdss), and a high breakdown voltage (BV). In the reverse conduction state (VDS < 0 V &VGS ≤ 0 V), the EBP structure suppresses the Ec shifting upwards to achieve a low and independent of gate bias reverse turn-on voltage (VRT). The proposed EBP-CAVET achieves a high Vth of 2.10 V, a VRT of 0.69 V, a low Jdss of 3.1 × 10−11 A/cm2 at VDS = 1000 V, a high BV of 1660 V. Compared with an integrated Schottky barrier diode or fin diode in a field effect transistor (FET), the EBP structure occupies a much smaller chip area. Thus, the EBP-CAVET achieves a low specific ON-resistance (Ron,sp) of 1.19 mΩ cm2 and an extremely high power-figure-of-merit (PFOM) up to 2.32 GW/cm2. Consequently, the proposed structure presents a new design concept and enhances the application potential for GaN CAVET with high Vth and low reverse conduction loss.

Analysis and modeling of the influence of gate leakage current on threshold voltage and subthreshold swing in p-GaN gate AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

In this paper, the p-GaN gate AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) with varying combinations of gate metal work function and gate geometry are fabricated and investigate the influence of gate leakage current (IGS) on the threshold voltage (VTH) and subthreshold swing (SS). The unique dependence of VTH and SS on gate geometry for different metals is observed, which is different from traditional field-effect transistors. A novel hybrid physics model, consisting of the traditional capacitance divider model and hole injection model, is proposed to explain this phenomenon, and the results exhibit an excellent agreement with the experimental data. The holes traverse the gate/p-GaN Schottky barrier by thermal emission or tunneling and inject into the p-GaN layer, generating the IGS. Expanding upon the traditional capacitance divider model, a portion of the injected holes accumulate at the p-GaN/AlGaN interface and induce the corresponding electrons at the AlGaN/GaN heterojunction, which promotes channel conduction. Hence, the transfer curves display the correlation between IGS and VTH as well as SS. The results show that high IGS can alleviate the instability of VTH caused by the lithographic overlay error, and simultaneously optimize SS. This work offers a novel perspective for examining the turn-on mechanism of p-GaN HEMTs, thereby contributing to device design.

Mg activation anneal of the p-GaN body in trench gate MOSFETs and its effect on channel mobility and threshold voltage stability

This work addresses the impact of the Mg activation anneal step and the resulting acceptor concentration on the channel mobility and VT stability of vertical MOSFETs. Increasing the annealing time with N2 only ambient and the annealing temperature with O2 in the ambient is shown to be effective in increasing the channel acceptor concentration. When the effective acceptor concentration is increased, the mobility is degraded due to a transition in the main scattering mechanism from Coulomb to surface roughness scattering. Degradation of the on-state current and maximum transconductance at high operating temperatures was linked to bulk mobility degradation of the drift layer due to lattice scattering. The two Mg activation annealing conditions considered here show different trends with regard to the threshold voltage stability, while N2 only ambient did not impact this parameter, including O2 increased threshold voltage instability. It is shown that increasing the Mg chemical concentration in the p-GaN layer degrades channel mobility and threshold voltage stability, irrespectively of the effective acceptor concentration, providing evidence for degradation of the channel/dielectric interface characteristics with higher Mg chemical concentration. This study shows that it is possible to achieve very low threshold voltage hysteresis and high channel mobility by reducing the Mg chemical concentration while maintaining high effective acceptor concentration. These results provide key insights for the development of vertical GaN FETs.

Nano-indentation study of dislocation evolution in GaN-based laser diodes

The slip systems and motion behavior of dislocations induced by nano-indentation technique in GaN-based LDs were investigated. Dislocations with burgers vector of b = 1/3 <112¯\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\overline{2}$$\\end{document}3> were introduced on either {112¯\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\overline{2}$$\\end{document}2} <112¯\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\overline{2}$$\\end{document}3>, or {11¯\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\overline{1}$$\\end{document}01} <112¯\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\overline{2}$$\\end{document}3> pyramidal slip systems in the upper p-GaN layer. Besides, {0001} <112¯\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\overline{2}$$\\end{document}0> basal slip system was also activated. The AlGaN/InGaN multi-layers in device can provide mismatch stresses to prevent dislocations from slipping through. It was observed that the density of dislocations induced by the indenter significantly decreased from the upper to the lower regions of the multi-layers. The a + c dislocations on pyramidal slip planes were mostly blocked by the strained layers.

In-situ S/TEM DC biasing of p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN heterostructure for E-mode GaN HEMT devices

This work describes an in-situ electrical DC bias study of the E-mode GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) device. A single transistor structure is biased and studied in real-time. The sample was made from an E-mode GaN HEMT device using Focused Ion Beam (FIB) milling and upright lift-off. The device lamella is subjected to forward gate bias to understand the device operation and physical changes under the bias. Active device area and micron level changes due to biasing were studied and identified as crucial factors affecting device reliability during continuous operation. Electric bias-induced physical changes are observed at the p-GaN layer and AlGaN interface on the p-GaN and GaN sides. Localized damage and defect formation, along with elemental diffusion, is observed. The formation of new defects over existing growth defects was seen in the p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN heterostructure. The study helped us identify the exact location of the failure, the region affected under bias, and the occurrence of physical changes due to the electrical bias on the in-situ device. Based on the study, gate breakdown failure and its location at the metal/p-GaN interface are understood to result from physical changes activated by electrical bias.

Is It Possible to Make Thin p-GaN Layer for AlGaN-Based Deep Ultraviolet Micro Light Emitting Diodes?

Is It Possible to Make Thin p-GaN Layer for AlGaN-Based Deep Ultraviolet Micro Light Emitting Diodes?

Optimization of structural parameters in Omega(Ω)-Shaped gate p-GaN MIS-HEMT for performance improvement

In this paper, optimization of a novel p-GaN MIS-HEMT is performed and investigated for improved performance. In the proposed device, we have incorporated an Omega (Ω) shaped gate that surrounds the dielectric layer placed above the p-GaN layer. The Ω-shaped gate p-GaN MIS-HEMT alleviates stress on the gate dielectric. In addition, the Ω-shaped gate ensures a more uniform distribution of stress on the gate dielectric, thereby decreasing the risk of dielectric breakdown and enhancing the overall reliability of the device. The optimization has been performed with respect to gate dielectric's thickness, length and material, to achieve the optimal device performance. The validation of simulation results involved calibrating device models using experimental data. The proposed device demonstrates superior breakdown voltage, enhanced threshold voltage, and decreased gate leakage current when compared to existing state-of-the-art devices. Additionally, a set of processing steps has been proposed for the potential fabrication of the proposed device.

Startified thermal degradation in blue InGaN quantum well structures: P-GaN growth temperature and its influence on quantum well optical properties

Thermal degradation in blue InGaN multi-quantum well (MQW) structures induced by varying high p-GaN growth temperature and the subsequent influence on the optical properties of MQW are investigated. The results indicate that higher p-GaN growth temperatures improve p-GaN layer contact quality, but may lead to an optical property degradation of InGaN MQWs. A stratified thermal degradation mechanism is observed. The degradation primarily affects the upper quantum barrier layers and results in indium desorption and re-evaporation, where elevated p-GaN growth temperatures may induce more indium segregation and decomposition than in lower layers of MQW. In extreme conditions, such as 1060℃, indium atoms in lower layers escape, causing partial lattice structure corruption and severe degradation in MQW structure, which is also more distinctive in the upper layers.

High-Performance Ultraviolet Photodetector Arrays Based on Recessed-Gate HEMT with a Buried p-GaN Layer

High-Performance Ultraviolet Photodetector Arrays Based on Recessed-Gate HEMT with a Buried p-GaN Layer

Reliability of enhancement-mode p-GaN gate GaN HEMT with multiple field plates

In this paper, we fabricate enhancement-mode p-GaN gate GaN HEMTs with multiple field plates (MFPs) and analyze the reliability of the devices by means of simulation and experiment. Simulations of the electric-field distribution indicate that the MFPs effectively weaken the electric field peak near the gate to below the theoretical breakdown value and smooth the electric field between the gate edge and drain-side field plate edge. The simulated electric field peak leading to the breakdown of the device with MFPs at high drain voltage is located at the drain edge, which is validated by experimental results. The GaN HEMTs with MFPs exhibit excellent long-term reliability under high temperature and drain voltage, while deviations from threshold voltage and on-resistance were observed in the device subjected to drain stress. We attribute these deviations to electron accumulation and high field-assisted detrapping processes in the p-GaN layer. This investigation provides new insight into the mechanism of variations in threshold voltage and on-resistance under off-state drain stress.

Degradation and Failure Mechanism of p-GaN Gate E-Mode GaN HEMTs

GaN-based power transistors are becoming pivotal devices for high power and high voltage operation due to their higher breakdown voltage, higher carrier mobility because of two-dimensional electron gas (2-DEG), better thermal resistance, higher frequency switching, and lower on-state resistance (RON) [1]. P-GaN gate E-mode GaN HEMTs have emerged as a center of extensive research to understand their operation and reliability [2]. However, one of the reasons the E-mode GaN HEMTs are not yet successfully utilized to their maximum potential is the lack of complete understanding of gate breakdown. Gate degradation of p-GaN gate E-mode GaN HEMT is less understood because of the complexities involving the operating conditions and variables such as gate length, the acceptor doping concentration in the p-GaN layer [3], p-GaN gate thickness, and design of the device [4-5]. To outline a consistent degradation mechanism, this work aims to present an electro-physical model of gate breakdown in p-GaN gate E-mode HEMTs.Lateral E-mode GaN HEMT devices with p-GaN gate configuration are used for this study. According to the Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) imaging of a new device, the AlGaN barrier is 10 nm thick, and the p-GaN cap is 65 nm. The gate-source and gate-drain lengths are 0.5 micrometer and 2.5 micrometer, respectively. The gate length defined by the p-GaN layer is 0.5 micrometer and the edges of the gate metal are pulled in from the top edge of the p-GaN layer by 40 nm. A 0.7 micrometer-long, source-connected field plate is over the p-GaN gate. The p-GaN gate is subjected to static stress to induce accelerated breakdown. Devices were stressed with HP 4155 Semiconductor Analyzer. The electrical measurements were performed with the source, drain, and substrate connected to the ground. FEI 200 Nova was used for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) imaging and Focused Ion-Beam (FIB) milling. ARM JEM-200F with a Cs corrector was used for STEM.Our results show that time-to-fail is highly dependent on device operating conditions. We found no correlation between time-to-fail and initial gate current (IG0). Instead, a higher impact of temperature was found on the gate current of the device (IG) and time-to-fail at 100 °C. Gate failure at constant voltage stress was a single-stage failure. Under constant current stress, on the other hand, the gate shows a multi-stage failure. The breakdown mechanism depends on the impact of static stress on the gate degradation, starting with increased gate current leading to Schottky barrier leakage and finally to catastrophic contact failure. Our study shows that the metal/p-GaN interface at the gate finger becomes the weakest part of the gate stack, likely to be the initiation point of degradation. Metal/p-GaN interface and surface defects develop as percolation paths acting as leakage sources, and nano-cracks have been observed in the gate cap. FA also shows physical degradation at the metal/p-GaN cap due to electrical stress. Observed physical damage in the gate region is correlated to the gate leakage characteristics to develop an electro-physical failure model for gate breakdown in p-GaN gate E-mode GaN HEMTs.

Single-crystalline GaN microdisk arrays grown on graphene for flexible micro-LED application

We report the growth of single-crystalline GaN microdisk arrays on graphene and their application in flexible light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Graphene layers were directly grown on c-sapphire substrates using chemical vapor deposition and employed as substrates for GaN growth. Position-controlled GaN microdisks were laterally overgrown on the graphene layers with a micro-patterned SiO2 mask using metal–organic vapor-phase epitaxy. The as-grown GaN microdisks exhibited excellent single crystallinity with a uniform in-plane orientation. Furthermore, we fabricated flexible micro-LEDs by achieving heteroepitaxial growth of n-GaN, In x Ga1−x N/GaN multiple quantum wells, and p-GaN layers on graphene-coated sapphire substrates. The GaN micro-LED arrays were successfully transferred onto bendable substrates and displayed strong blue light emission under room illumination, demonstrating their potential for integration into flexible optoelectronic devices.

Pulsed-Mode Metalorganic Vapor-Phase Epitaxy of GaN on Graphene-Coated c-Sapphire for Freestanding GaN Thin Films.

We report the growth of high-quality GaN epitaxial thin films on graphene-coated c-sapphire substrates using pulsed-mode metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy, together with the fabrication of freestanding GaN films by simple mechanical exfoliation for transferable light-emitting diodes (LEDs). High-quality GaN films grown on the graphene-coated sapphire substrates were easily lifted off by using thermal release tape and transferred onto foreign substrates. Furthermore, we revealed that the pulsed operation of ammonia flow during GaN growth was a critical factor for the fabrication of high-quality freestanding GaN films. These films, exhibiting excellent single crystallinity, were utilized to fabricate transferable GaN LEDs by heteroepitaxially growing InxGa1-xN/GaN multiple quantum wells and a p-GaN layer on the GaN films, showing their potential application in advanced optoelectronic devices.

Extraction of device parameters from capacitance-voltage characteristics of p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN HEMT

This article presents unique methods for extracting essential device parameters of p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN HEMT from its gate capacitance-voltage characteristics. These parameters encompass p-GaN layer doping, AlGaN barrier layer thickness, threshold voltage, effective interface charge at AlGaN/GaN, and UID-GaN layer doping. Detailed step-by-step extraction techniques are elucidated, and their accuracy is rigorously validated against experimental and simulation data. The suggested methods are analytical and straightforward to comprehend. Furthermore, it enables the determination of trap density and its distribution at the AlGaN/GaN interface. These extraction processes play a crucial role in the comprehensive characterization of p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. The extracted device parameters can subsequently be used to improve device optimization, modelling, fabrication, and process control for normally-OFF p-GaN-gated HEMTs.

Influence of the thickness of p-GaN ohmic contact layer on the performance of AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

276 nm AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV-LEDs) with varying p-GaN thicknesses were investigated. The simulation results demonstrate that DUV-LEDs with an ultra-thin 4 nm p-GaN layer exhibit a 96.9% increase in full-angle total radiant intensity compared to those with a 350 nm p-GaN layer. Meanwhile, the total radiant intensity of the DUV-LEDs with 4 nm p-GaN were all elevated during the degree of polarization (DOP) transition from 1 to −1. The experimental results demonstrate that the maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) and wall-plug efficiency (WPE) values of 5.3% and 4.0%, respectively, at 4 A/cm2 for the DUV-LEDs with a 4 nm p-GaN layer. These figures represent remarkable improvements of 60.6% and 42.8% when compared to DUV-LEDs featuring a 350 nm p-GaN layer. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that the adoption of an ultra-thin p-GaN ohmic contact layer introduced some surface irregularities, potentially affecting the ohmic contact of the p-type layer and resulting in a slight voltage increase, thus tempering the WPE improvement. The light extraction efficiency (LEE) values of 10.0%, 7.4%, 6.7% and 6.3% were extracted for the four samples after fitting the experimental EQE curves by the ABC model.