Takayanagi H., Itagaki K., Horio K.
Shibaura Institute of Technology, JP
Keywords: current compression, device simulation, GaN MESFET, trap
Two-dimensional transient analyses of GaN metal-semiconductor field effect transistors (MESFETs) are performed in which a three level compensation model is adopted for a semi-insulating buffer layer, where a shallow donor, a deep donor and a deep acceptor are included. Quasi-pulsed current-voltage (I-V) curves are derived from the transient characteristics and are compared with steady-state I-V curves. It is shown that when the drain voltage VD is raised abruptly, the drain current ID overshoots the steady-state value, and when VD is lowered abruptly, ID remains at a low value for some periods, showing drain-lag behavior. These are explained by the deep donor’s electron capturing and electron emission processes quantitatively. The drain lag could be a major cause of current compression, although some gate lag is also seen due to the buffer layer. The current compression is shown to be more pronounced when the deep-acceptor density in the buffer layer is higher and when an off-state drain voltage is higher, because the change of ionized deep-donor density becomes larger and hence the trapping effects become more significant. It is suggested that to minimize the current compression in GaN-based FETs, an acceptor density in a semi-insulating GaN layer should be made low, although the current cutoff behavior may be degraded.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 3, Technical Proceedings of the 2006 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Trade Show, Volume 3
Published: May 7, 2006
Pages: 55 - 58
Industry sectors: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing | Sensors, MEMS, Electronics
Topics: Nanoelectronics, Photonic Materials & Devices
ISBN: 0-9767985-8-1