Comparative analysis of hot-electron transport in AlGaN/GaN and AlGaN/AlN/GaN 2DEG channels

• Published in: Physica status solidi. A, Applications and materials science Applications and materials science, 2005-04, Vol.202 (5), p.808-811
• Main Authors: Ardaravičius, L., Ramonas, M., Kiprijanovic, O., Liberis, J., Matulionis, A., Eastman, L. F., Shealy, J. R., Chen, X., Sun, Y. J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 02.70.Uu; 63.20.Kr; 72.20.Ht; 73.40.Kp; 73.63.Hs; Exact sciences and technology; Physics
• ISSN: 1862-6300; 0031-8965; 1862-6319; 1521-396X
• DOI: 10.1002/pssa.200461618

Nanosecond‐pulsed current–voltage measurements were used to study hot‐electron transport in undoped AlGaN/GaN and AlGaN/AlN/GaN two‐dimensional electron gas channels biased up to 200 kV/cm. Voltage pulses of 1 ns were applied in order to minimize channel heating. The current saturated at 100 kV/cm in the AlN‐interbarrier‐contained structures; the estimated saturated drift velocity was about 1.1 × 107 cm/s. No saturation of the current was observed in AlGaN/GaN channels in the field range below 200 kV/cm. Monte Carlo simulation of hot‐electron transport was carried out with electron gas degeneracy and hot phonons taken into account. A fairly good fit of the experimental results with the Monte Carlo simulation data was obtained in the electric field range up to 30 kV/cm. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)