• 한국재료학회지
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• 제13권12호
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• pp.769-774
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• 2003

In this paper, we report on the DC characteristics of the AlGaN/GaN HFETs using physical models on piezoelectric and thermal effects. Employing the models was found to be essential for a realistic prediction of the DC current-voltage characteristics of the AlGaN/GaN HFETs. Though use of the implementation of the physical models, peak drain current, transconductance, pinch-off voltage, and most importantly, the negative slope in the current were accurately predicted. The importance of the heat sink effect was demonstrated by the comparison of the DC characteristics of AlGaN/GaN HFETs fabricated from different substrates including sapphire, Si and SiC. Highest peak current was achieved from the device with SiC by an effective suppression of heat sink effect.

• 대한전자공학회논문지SD
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• 제38권8호
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• pp.13-19
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• 2001

분자선 결정 성장법을 이용하여 성장된 서로 다른 장벽층의 두께를 갖는 $Al_{0.3}Ga_{0.7}N$ heterojunction field effect transistors (HFETs) 를 제작하여 그 특성을 비교, 관찰하였다. $Al_{0.3}Ga_{0.7}N$층의 두께에 따른 특성의 비교로부터 최적의 2 차원 전자개스 (2 dimensional electron gas) 를 가질 수 있는 $Al_{0.3}Ga_{0.7}N$/GaN HFET 소자 구조를 얻을 수 있었다. $L_g=0.6$ ${\mu}m$ 와 $W_g=34\;{\mu}m$ $Al_{0.3}Ga_{0.7}N$/GaN (20 nm/2 mm) HFET에서 Imax ($V_{gs}=1\;V$) 와 $G_{m,maX}$는 각각 1.155 A/mm 및 250ms/${\mu}m$ 이었으며 $F_t=13$ GHz 와 $F_{max}=48$ GHz의 우수한 고주파 특성을 얻을 수 있었고 2 inch 기판상에서 제작된 소자들은 5% 이하의 매우 균일한 DC 특성을 나타내었다. 이와 더불어 게이트-드레인 간의 간격에 따른 소자의 특성을 관찰함으로서 소자의 항복전압과 고주파 특성과의 상관관계를 고찰하였다.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• 제15권5호
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• pp.497-503
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• 2015

It is essential to acquire an accurate and simple technique for extracting the interface trap density ($D_{it}$) in order to characterize the normally-off gate-recessed AlGaN/GaN hetero field-effect transistors (HFETs) because they can undergo interface trap generation induced by the etch damage in each interfacial layer provoking the degradation of device performance as well as serious instability. Here, the frequency-dependent capacitance-voltage (C-V) method (FDCM) is proposed as a simple and fast technique for extracting $D_{it}$ and demonstrated in normally-off gate-recessed AlGaN/GaN HFETs. The FDCM is found to be not only simpler than the conductance method along with the same precision, but also much useful for a simple C-V model for AlGaN/GaN HFETs because it identifies frequency-independent and bias-dependent capacitance components.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.204-209
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• 2017

We have investigated a Mo/Au gate scheme for use in AlGaN/GaN-on-Si HFETs. AlGaN/GaN-on-Si HFETs were fabricated with Ni/Au or Mo/Au gates and their electrical characteristics were compared after thermal stress tests. While insignificant difference was observed in DC characteristics, the Mo/Au gate device exhibited lower on-resistance with superior pulsed characteristics in comparison with the Ni/Au gate device.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• 제16권6호
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• pp.867-872
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• 2016

We have investigated the channel mobility of AlGaN/GaN-on-Si recessed-metal-oxide-semiconductor-heterojunction field-effect transistors (recessed-MOS-HFET) with $SiO_2$ gate oxide. Both field-effect mobility and effective mobility for the recessed-MOS channel region were extracted as a function of the effective transverse electric field. The maximum field effect mobility was $380cm^2/V{\cdot}s$ near the threshold voltage. The effective channel mobility at the on-state bias condition was $115cm^2/V{\cdot}s$ at which the effective transverse electric field was 340 kV/cm. The influence of the recessed-MOS region on the overall channel mobility of AlGaN/GaN recessed-MOS-HFETs was also investigated.

• ETRI Journal
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.292-299
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• 2017

We propose pulse-mode dynamic $R_on$ measurement as a method for analyzing the effect of stress on large-scale high-power AlGaN/GaN HFETs. The measurements were carried out under the soft-switching condition (zero-voltage switching) and aimed to minimize the self-heating problem that exists with the conventional hard-switching measurement. The dynamic $R_on$ of the fabricated AlGaN/GaN MIS-HFETs was measured under different stabilization time conditions. To do so, the drain-gate bias is set to zero after applying the off-state stress. As the stabilization time increased from $ 0.1{\mu}s$ to 100 ms, the dynamic $R_on$ decreased from $160\Omega$ to $2\Omega$. This method will be useful in developing high-performance GaN power FETs suitable for use in high-efficiency converter/inverter topology design.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.478-483
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• 2014

We propose a new method which can extract the information about the electronic traps in the semi-insulating GaN buffer of AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors (HFETs) using a simple test structure. The proposed method has a merit in the easiness of fabricating the test structure. Moreover, the electric fields inside the test structure are very similar to those inside the actual transistor, so that we can extract the information of bulk traps which directly affect the current collapse behaviors of AlGaN/GaN HEFTs. By applying the proposed method to the GaN buffer structures with various unintentionally doped GaN channel thicknesses, we conclude that the incorporated carbon into the GaN back barrier layer is the dominant origin of the bulk trap which affects the current collapse behaviors of AlGaN/GaN HEFTs.

• 전자공학회논문지
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• 제51권2호
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• pp.33-37
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• 2014

본 논문에서는 AlGaN/GaN HFET의 누설전류 특성을 개선하고자 산화갈륨 희생층 공정을 이용한 새로운 패시베이션 공정을 제안하였다. 오믹 전극 형성시 고온 열처리 과정으로 인해 갈륨의 표면 손상이 불가피하다. 표면 손상을 방지하기 위해 보편적으로 선표면처리 공정을 사용하기도 하지만 이러한 방법만으로는 표면 손상을 완전히 없애기 어렵다. 본 연구에서 새롭게 제안된 산화갈륨 희생층을 이용한 공정 방법은 고온 열처리 후 손상된 표면에 $O_2$ 플라즈마 처리를 통해 산화갈륨층을 형성한 뒤, 염화수소를 이용하여 산화갈륨층을 식각한다. 우수한 상태의 표면 상태를 얻을 수 있었으며, 누설전류의 확연한 감소로 subthreshold slope이 개선되었을 뿐만 아니라 최대 드레인 전류 특성도 594 mA/mm에서 634 mA/mm로 증가하였다. 질화갈륨 희생층 공정의 효과를 분석하기 위해 X-선 광전자 분광법을 이용하여 질화갈륨의 표면 변화에 대해 살펴보았다.

• 전기전자학회논문지
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.1167-1171
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• 2020

본 연구에서는 상시불통형 p-GaN 전력반도체소자의 신뢰성 향상을 위해 p-GaN 게이트막 내부의 전계를 완화하고자 p-GaN 게이트 도핑농도의 계조화를 제안한다. TCAD 시뮬레이션으로 균일한 도핑농도를 갖는 소자와 문턱전압과 출력 전류 특성이 동일하도록 p형 농도를 계조화하고 최적화하였다. p-GaN 게이트층에서의 전계 감소로 소자의 게이트 신뢰성이 개선될 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.221-225
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• 2016

This paper reports a new method to enable the normally-off operation of AlGaN/GaN heterojunction field-effect transistors (HFETs). A capacitor was connected to the gate input node of a normally-on AlGaN/GaN HFET with a Schottky gate where the Schottky gate acted as a clamping diode. The combination of the capacitor and Schottky gate functioned as a clamp circuit to downshift the input signal to enable the normally-off operation. The normally-off operation with a virtual threshold voltage of 5.3 V was successfully demonstrated with excellent dynamic switching characteristics.