Analysis of breakdown voltage for GaN MIS-HEMT with various composite field plate configurations and passivation layers

Catherine Langpoklakpam, Yi Kai Hsiao, Edward Yi Chang, Chun Hsiung Lin*, Hao Chung Kuo

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The effects of different field plate designs on the breakdown voltage of GaN Metal-insulator-semiconductor high electron mobility transistors (MIS-HEMTs) were examined in this study. The study's primary goal was to determine the dependence of breakdown voltage with respective to composite field plate designs using TCAD simulation. For devices featuring only G-FP, with a fixed gate to drain distance of 15 μm and a fixed G-FP to drain distance of 15 μm, the maximum breakdown voltage was achieved 1 μm G-FP. Breakdown voltage trends were also determined for composite field plate configurations, such as adding a source field plate (S-FP) or a drain field plate (D-FP) with a fixed 1 μm G-FP length. A further enhancement in device breakdown performance was demonstrated by employing a novel D-FP structure. A single D-FP improves the breakdown voltage from 1.4 kV (conventional breakdown voltage with 1um G-FP) to 1.6 kV when combined with 1 μm G-FP, while the novel two-step D-FP achieves a breakdown voltage of about 1.7 kV when combined with 1 μm G-FP. We also investigated the influence of high-k dielectric passivation layers on the breakdown voltage. The breakdown voltage of the devices with optimized G-FP can be further improved by using high-k dielectric material as a passivation layer. The thorough investigations contribute to a better understanding of GaN MIS-HEMT breakdown characteristics and prospective pathways for improving their performance via unique field plate designs and superior dielectric materials.

Original languageEnglish
Article number108930
JournalSolid-State Electronics
Volume216
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2024

Keywords

  • Breakdown voltage
  • Electric field
  • Field plate
  • GaN
  • Passivation layer

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