The Effect of Proton Irradiation in Suppressing Current Collapse in AlGaN/GaN High-Electron-Mobility Transistors

• Published in: IEEE transactions on electron devices 2019-01, Vol.66 (1), p.372-377
• Main Authors: Stockman, A., Tajalli, A., Meneghini, M., Uren, M. J., Mouhoubi, S., Gerardin, S., Bagatin, M., Paccagnella, A., Meneghesso, G., Zanoni, E., Moens, P., Bakeroot, B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum gallium nitride; Aluminum gallium nitrides; CAD; Computer aided design; Deionization; dynamic ON-resistance; Gallium nitride; Gallium nitride (GaN); high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT); Leakage current; Logic gates; Power semiconductor devices; Proton irradiation; Protons; Radiation effects; Semiconductor devices; Threshold voltage; Transistors; Wide band gap semiconductors
• ISSN: 0018-9383; 1557-9646
• DOI: 10.1109/TED.2018.2881325

Almost complete suppression of dynamic ON-resistance in AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors is obtained by proton irradiation. In this paper, both small and large power transistors are characterized before and after 3-MeV proton irradiation at different fluences. The irradiated devices show a high robustness and for specific fluences unaltered threshold voltage and static ON-resistance. However, for fluences higher than 10 13 cm −2 , the dynamic ON-resistance is almost completely suppressed at 600 V and T = 150 °C. After irradiation, a measurable increase in OFF-state leakage current is observed, indicating an increase in the unintentionally doped (UID) GaN layer conductivity. We propose a technology computer-aided design supported model in which this conductivity increase leads to an increased deionization rate, ultimately reducing the dynamic ON-resistance.