Accession Number:

ADA551851

Title:

Reliability-Limiting Defects in GaN/AlGaN High Electron Mobility Transistors

Descriptive Note:

Doctoral thesis

Corporate Author:

VANDERBILT UNIV NASHVILLE TN DEPT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Personal Author(s):

• Roy, Tania

Report Date:

2011-12-01

Pagination or Media Count:

112.0

Abstract:

GaN-based high electron mobility transistors HEMTs have gained popularity in high- frequency, high-power electronics owing to the high breakdown voltage and high mobility of GaN. The reliability of GaN-based devices is still an issue, and a lot of research is under way in order to bring GaN to parity with SiC in high-power application areas. In this work, we study the various reliability issues of GaNAlGaN HEMTs that were fabricated under different conditions using molecular beam epitaxy MBE and metallorganic chemical vapor deposition MOCVD. We propose physics-based models to predict the reliability of GaN HEMTs, and extrapolate the techniques used to other semiconductor material systems. First, the devices are characterized electrically and then subjected to stress DC and RF electrical stress and exposure to radiation. The defects that cause stress-induced degradation are identified using density functional theory calculations. The generation rate of these defects are helpful in order to predict the failure rate of these devices during their operation.

Descriptors:

• *HIGH ELECTRON MOBILITY TRANSISTORS
• BREAKDOWN(ELECTRONIC THRESHOLD)
• CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
• GALLIUM NITRIDES
• HIGH POWER
• HIGH VOLTAGE
• MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
• RADIOFREQUENCY
• SEMICONDUCTORS
• THESES

Subject Categories:

• Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE