We present a comprehensive, up-to-date compilation of band parameters for the technologically important III–V zinc blende and wurtzite compound semiconductors: GaAs, GaSb, GaP, GaN, AlAs, AlSb, AlP, AlN, InAs, InSb, InP, and InN, along with their ternary and quaternary alloys. Based on a review of the existing literature, complete and consistent parameter sets are given for all materials. Emphasizing the quantities required for band structure calculations, we tabulate the direct and indirect energy gaps, spin-orbit, and crystal-field splittings, alloy bowing parameters, effective masses for electrons, heavy, light, and split-off holes, Luttinger parameters, interband momentum matrix elements, and deformation potentials, including temperature and alloy-composition dependences where available. Heterostructure band offsets are also given, on an absolute scale that allows any material to be aligned relative to any other.

Band parameters for III–V compound semiconductors and their alloys

Carrier concentration profiles of two-dimensional electron gases are investigated in wurtzite, Ga-face AlxGa1−xN/GaN/AlxGa1−xN and N-face GaN/AlxGa1−xN/GaN heterostructures used for the fabrication of field effect transistors. Analysis of the measured electron distributions in heterostructures with AlGaN barrier layers of different Al concentrations (0.15<x<0.5) and thickness between 20 and 65 nm demonstrate the important role of spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization on the carrier confinement at GaN/AlGaN and AlGaN/GaN interfaces. Characterization of the electrical properties of nominally undoped transistor structures reveals the presence of high sheet carrier concentrations, increasing from 6×1012 to 2×1013 cm−2 in the GaN channel with increasing Al-concentration from x=0.15 to 0.31. The observed high sheet carrier concentrations and strong confinement at specific interfaces of the N- and Ga-face pseudomorphic grown heterostructures can be explained as a consequence of interface charges induced by ...

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Two-dimensional electron gases induced by spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization charges in N- and Ga-face AlGaN/GaN heterostructures

We present a comprehensive and up-to-date compilation of band parameters for all of the nitrogen-containing III–V semiconductors that have been investigated to date. The two main classes are: (1) “conventional” nitrides (wurtzite and zinc-blende GaN, InN, and AlN, along with their alloys) and (2) “dilute” nitrides (zinc-blende ternaries and quaternaries in which a relatively small fraction of N is added to a host III–V material, e.g., GaAsN and GaInAsN). As in our more general review of III–V semiconductor band parameters [I. Vurgaftman et al., J. Appl. Phys. 89, 5815 (2001)], complete and consistent parameter sets are recommended on the basis of a thorough and critical review of the existing literature. We tabulate the direct and indirect energy gaps, spin-orbit and crystal-field splittings, alloy bowing parameters, electron and hole effective masses, deformation potentials, elastic constants, piezoelectric and spontaneous polarization coefficients, as well as heterostructure band offsets. Temperature an...

Band parameters for nitrogen-containing semiconductors

The role of extended and point defects, and key impurities such as C, O, and H, on the electrical and optical properties of GaN is reviewed. Recent progress in the development of high reliability contacts, thermal processing, dry and wet etching techniques, implantation doping and isolation, and gate insulator technology is detailed. Finally, the performance of GaN-based electronic and photonic devices such as field effect transistors, UV detectors, laser diodes, and light-emitting diodes is covered, along with the influence of process-induced or grown-in defects and impurities on the device physics.

Gan : processing, defects, and devices

REVIEW High-efficiency light-emitting diodes emitting amber, green, blue, and ultraviolet light have been obtained through the use of an InGaN active layer instead of a GaN active layer. The localized energy states caused by In composition fluctuation in the InGaN active layer are related to the high efficiency of the InGaN-based emitting devices. The blue and green InGaN quantum-well structure light-emitting diodes with luminous efficiencies of 5 and 30 lumens per watt, respectively, can be made despite the large number of threading dislocations (1 x 10(8) to 1 x 10(12) cm-2). Epitaxially laterally overgrown GaN on sapphire reduces the number of threading dislocations originating from the interface of the GaN epilayer with the sapphire substrate. InGaN multi-quantum-well structure laser diodes formed on the GaN layer above the SiO2 mask area can have a lifetime of more than 10,000 hours. Dislocations increase the threshold current density of the laser diodes.

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The Roles of Structural Imperfections in InGaN-Based Blue Light-Emitting Diodes and Laser Diodes

We report on the AlGaN/GaN metal oxide semiconductor heterostructure field effect transistor (MOS-HFET) and present the results of the comparative studies of this device and a base line AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistor (HFET). For a 5-/spl mu/ source-to-drain opening, the maximum current was close to 600 mA/mm for both devices. The gate leakage current for the MOS-HFET was more than six orders of magnitude smaller than for the HFET.

AlGaN/GaN metal oxide semiconductor heterostructure field effect transistor

We present an experimental and theoretical study of nonresonant detection of subterahertz radiation in GaAs/AlGaAs and GaN/AlGaN heterostructure field effect transistors. The experiments were performed in a wide range of temperatures (8–300 K) and for frequencies ranging from 100 to 600 GHz. The photoresponse measured as a function of the gate voltage exhibited a maximum near the threshold voltage. The results were interpreted using a theoretical model that shows that the maximum in photoresponse can be explained by the combined effect of exponential decrease of the electron density and the gate leakage current.

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Nonresonant Detection of Terahertz Radiation in Field Effect Transistors

We report on AlGaN/GaN metal–oxide–semiconductor heterostructure field-effect transistors (MOS-HFETs) grown over insulating 4H–SiC substrates. We demonstrate that the dc and microwave performance of the MOS-HFETs is superior to that of conventional AlGaN/GaN HFETs, which points to the high quality of SiO2/AlGaN heterointerface. The MOS-HFETs could operate at positive gate biases as high as +10 V that doubles the channel current as compared to conventional AlGaN/GaN HFETs of a similar design. The gate leakage current was more than six orders of magnitude smaller than that for the conventional AlGaN/GaN HFETs. The MOS-HFETs exhibited stable operation at elevated temperatures up to 300 °C with excellent pinch-off characteristics. These results clearly establish the potential of using AlGaN/GaN MOS-HFET approach for high power microwave and switching devices.

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AlGaN/GaN metal–oxide–semiconductor heterostructure field-effect transistors on SiC substrates

We compare self-heating effects in AlGaN-GaN heterostructure field effect transistors (HFETs) grown on sapphire and SiC substrates. Heat dissipation strongly affects the device characteristics soon after the application of the source-drain voltage (in less than 10/sup -7/ s). Our results show that in HFET's with the total epilayer thickness less than 1.5 /spl mu/m, the thermal impedance, /spl Theta/ is primarily determined by the substrate material and not by the material of the active layer. For our devices grown on 6H-SiC substrates, we measured /spl Theta/ of approximately 2/spl deg/C/spl middot/mm/W, which was more than an order of magnitude smaller than /spl Theta/=25/spl deg/C mm/W measured for similar AlGaN/GaN HFET's grown on sapphire. Our results demonstrate that AlGaN-GaN HFET's grown on SiC substrates combine advantages of superior electron transport properties in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures with excellent thermal properties of SiC, which should make these devices suitable for high-power electronic applications.

Self-heating in high-power AlGaN-GaN HFETs

The performance results AlGaN-GaN Heterostructure Field Effect Transistors (HFETs) grown on SiC substrates are reported. The maximum transconductance of these devices was 142 mS/mm and the source-drain current was as high as 0.95 A/mm. The maximum dissipated DC power at room temperature was 0.6 MW/cm/sup 2/, which is more than three times higher than that in similar devices grown on sapphire. This high thermal breakdown threshold was achieved primarily due to the effective heat sink through the SiC substrate. These devices demonstrated stable performance at elevated temperatures up to 250/spl deg/C. The source-drain current saturation was observed up to 300/spl deg/C. The leakage current in the below threshold regime was temperature-activated with an activation energy of 0.38 eV.

Remigijus Gaska

Papers

AlGaN/GaN metal oxide semiconductor heterostructure field effect transistor

Nonresonant Detection of Terahertz Radiation in Field Effect Transistors

AlGaN/GaN metal–oxide–semiconductor heterostructure field-effect transistors on SiC substrates

Self-heating in high-power AlGaN-GaN HFETs

High-temperature performance of AlGaN/GaN HFETs on SiC substrates