Electronic Materials (Jul 2024)

Alternative Measurement Approach for the Evaluation of Hot-Electron Degradation in p-GaN Gate AlGaN/GaN Power HEMTs

  • Marcello Cioni,
  • Giovanni Giorgino,
  • Alessandro Chini,
  • Antonino Parisi,
  • Giacomo Cappellini,
  • Cristina Miccoli,
  • Maria Eloisa Castagna,
  • Cristina Tringali,
  • Ferdinando Iucolano

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/electronicmat5030009
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 3
pp. 132 – 144

Abstract

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In this paper, a new method for evaluating hot-electron degradation in p-GaN gate AlGaN/GaN power HEMTs is proposed. The method exploits a commercial parameter analyzer to study VTH and RON drifts induced by on-state stress at VDS = 50 V. The results show that VTH drift and part of the RON degradation induced by the on-state stress are recoverable and likely due to the ionization of C-related acceptors in the buffer. This was confirmed by a preliminary characterization of C-related buffer traps. Conversely, the remaining part of RON degradation (not recovered in 1000 s) was strongly affected by the surface treatment. The current level set during on-state stress affected the amount of non-recoverable degradation, confirming the involvement of hot electrons. Thanks to the monitoring of the parameters’ recovery, the proposed method provides important insights into the physical mechanisms governing the parameters’ degradation. This extends the capabilities of state-of-the art systems, without the need for custom setup development.

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