PROJECT TITLE :

Impact of Surface Passivation on the Dynamic ON-Resistance of Proton-Irradiated AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

ABSTRACT:

Radiation tolerance of AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) is studied with 2-MeV protons, up to a fluence of $six times 10^14$ H+/cm2 (concerning 200 times of typical Si MOSFET rating). The increase in dynamic ON-resistance ( $R_textitONDYN)$ when radiation is observed to be abundant additional severe than that of static ON-resistance. Radiation-induced donorlike traps located near the two-dimensional electron gas lure electrons, which is responsible for the phenomenon. Compared with the devices passivated by typical plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) SiN, GaN HEMTs with ten nm of in situ SiN before the PECVD SiN step demonstrate a lot of less increase in $R_textitONDYN$ from 2300% to only three hundred%. The in situ SiN is believed to scale back the method injury by PECVD, improving radiation tolerance.