Thin-barrier gated-edge termination AlGaN/GaN Schottky barrier diode with low reverse leakage and high turn-on uniformity

Abstract

In this study, novel AlGaN/GaN Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) are fabricated with thin-barrier (5 nm) AlGaN/GaN heterostructures, featuring recess-free technology, eliminating bombardment plasma damage, and leading to high device uniformity. Combining a gated-edge termination (GET) design and assistance with high-quality low-pressure chemical vapor deposition SiN x, a low reverse leakage current (∼10 nA mm-1@-600 V) and a high reverse breakdown voltage of over 1.78 kV (@1 μA mm-1) are obtained. At the same time, we achieve a low turn-on voltage of 0.57 V and a low differential on-state resistance R on,sp of 1.49 mΩ cm2 for thin-barrier GET SBDs with an anode-to-cathode distance (L AC) of 15 μm, yielding a Baliga's figure of merit of 2120 MW cm-2. Moreover, this proposed diode process flow is compatible with AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors, which is promising for its integration in the smart GaN platform.