GaN-AlxGa1−xN Heterostructures Deposition by Low Pressure Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition for Metal Insulator Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (Misfet) Devices

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn this paper we report the fabrication and characterization of a metal insulator semiconductor field effect transistor (MISFET) based on single crystal GaN-AlxGa1−xN heterostructures. The device structure layers were deposited over sapphire substrate using low pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. We discuss the fabrication and characterization of MISFET devices using single crystal GaN as the insulator layer. These were fabricated on isolated mesas using TiAu for the source and drain ohmic contacts and silver for the gate Schottky. For devices with a gate length of 4 μm (channel opening i.e. source to drain separation of 10 μm), a transconductance of 20 mS/mm was obtained at -1 volt gate bias. Complete pinchoff was observed for a gate potential of -15 volts. Device performance is compared to that for a GaN MESFET of identical dimensions.Due to its direct bandgap tunable from 3.4 to 6.2 eV AlxGa1−xN is an important semiconductor for devices in the ultraviolet and visible parts of the spectrum. The large bandgap, potential of heterojunction formation and the insulating nature of AlN make AlxGa1−xN an ideal material system for high performance metal semiconductor field effect transistor (MESFET) devices requiring high operation temperatures. Availability of the insulator (single crystal AlN or GaN) also makes possible the fabrication of metal insulator field effect transistor (MISFET) devices which has been an elusive goal for the GaAs based III-V materials technology.High quality single crystal GaN films have been deposited on sapphire and several other semiconductor substrates using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD)1,2, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)3 and vapor phase epitaxy (VPE)4. Recently we have reported on quantum confinement5, room temperature stimulated emission6, and 2-dimensional electron gas in GaN-AlxGa1−xN heterostructures7,8. We have also deposited single crystal insulating GaN and A1N over sapphire using atomic layer epitaxy9,10 and fabricated high responsivity photoconductors11. We now report on the fabrication and characterization of FET devices using single crystal GaN-AlxGa1−xN heterostructures. This forms the basis of high temperature transistor devices based on the AlxGa1−xN material system.