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Thin-channel AlGaN/GaN/AlN double heterostructure HEMTs on AlN substrates via hot-wall MOCVD

Kim, Minho ; Papamichail, Alexis ; Tran, Dat Q. ; Paskov, Plamen P. and Darakchieva, Vanya LU (2025) In Applied Physics Letters 127(3).
Abstract
III-Nitride high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) grown on AlN substrates offer significant advantages for high-power, high-frequency applications due to AlN high thermal conductivity and ultra-wide bandgap. However, achieving high-quality thin GaN channel layers on AlN is challenging because of lattice mismatch, which leads to columnar growth. In this work, we present the development of a two-step growth process with controlled carbon incorporation that enables fully coalesced 150 and 50-nm-thick GaN channel layers on AlN substrates by hot-wall metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. We demonstrate HEMTs with state-of-the-art two-dimensional electron gas mobility values of 1805 and 1100 cm2/V s for the 150-nm-thick and the 50-nm-tick... (More)
III-Nitride high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) grown on AlN substrates offer significant advantages for high-power, high-frequency applications due to AlN high thermal conductivity and ultra-wide bandgap. However, achieving high-quality thin GaN channel layers on AlN is challenging because of lattice mismatch, which leads to columnar growth. In this work, we present the development of a two-step growth process with controlled carbon incorporation that enables fully coalesced 150 and 50-nm-thick GaN channel layers on AlN substrates by hot-wall metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. We demonstrate HEMTs with state-of-the-art two-dimensional electron gas mobility values of 1805 and 1100 cm2/V s for the 150-nm-thick and the 50-nm-tick channels, respectively. Thermal transport analysis, incorporating experimentally measured thermal conductivities of the individual HEMT components and electro-thermal simulations via Technology Computer-Aided Design, reveals a 19% reduction in surface temperature for devices on AlN substrates compared to similar HEMTs on SiC. This result highlights the thermal management benefits of homoepitaxy on AlN (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Applied Physics Letters
volume
127
issue
3
article number
032104
publisher
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
external identifiers
  • scopus:105011848912
ISSN
0003-6951
DOI
10.1063/5.0282836
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e8f2abce-eb48-44b1-b928-f98aa59c7af7
date added to LUP
2025-11-06 10:43:36
date last changed
2025-11-10 14:50:27
@article{e8f2abce-eb48-44b1-b928-f98aa59c7af7,
  abstract     = {{III-Nitride high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) grown on AlN substrates offer significant advantages for high-power, high-frequency applications due to AlN high thermal conductivity and ultra-wide bandgap. However, achieving high-quality thin GaN channel layers on AlN is challenging because of lattice mismatch, which leads to columnar growth. In this work, we present the development of a two-step growth process with controlled carbon incorporation that enables fully coalesced 150 and 50-nm-thick GaN channel layers on AlN substrates by hot-wall metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. We demonstrate HEMTs with state-of-the-art two-dimensional electron gas mobility values of 1805 and 1100 cm2/V s for the 150-nm-thick and the 50-nm-tick channels, respectively. Thermal transport analysis, incorporating experimentally measured thermal conductivities of the individual HEMT components and electro-thermal simulations via Technology Computer-Aided Design, reveals a 19% reduction in surface temperature for devices on AlN substrates compared to similar HEMTs on SiC. This result highlights the thermal management benefits of homoepitaxy on AlN}},
  author       = {{Kim, Minho and Papamichail, Alexis and Tran, Dat Q. and Paskov, Plamen P. and Darakchieva, Vanya}},
  issn         = {{0003-6951}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{3}},
  publisher    = {{American Institute of Physics (AIP)}},
  series       = {{Applied Physics Letters}},
  title        = {{Thin-channel AlGaN/GaN/AlN double heterostructure HEMTs on AlN substrates via hot-wall MOCVD}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0282836}},
  doi          = {{10.1063/5.0282836}},
  volume       = {{127}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}