High Voltage and Low Leakage GaN-on-SiC MISHEMTs on a ‘Buffer-Free’ Heterostructure

Journal article, 2022

The performance of a novel ‘buffer-free’ Al-GaN/GaN-on-SiC MISHEMTs for power switching applications is demonstrated in this letter. High voltage operation with exceptionally low gate and drain leakage currents is shown. A specific on-resistance of 3.61 mΩ∙cm2 and an abrupt breakdown voltage of 1622 V at a drain current of 22 nA/mm is achieved. Using two-terminal breakdown measurements, nitrogen-implanted GaN display breakdown fields of 0.96 MV/cm. The semi-insulating SiC substrate is capable of suppressing vertical leakage currents, ensuring that off-state operation is limited by lateral breakdown. The impact of electron trapping effects on dynamic on-resistance is small up to a drain quiescent voltage of at least 240 V. Drain current transient characteristics display a 14% increase in dynamic on-resistance with respect to quiescent drain bias, and a negligible change in resistance up to 100 ms. These types of ‘buffer-free’ heterostructures are of interest for power electronic applications above 1000 V and with potential for co-integration of power and RF-electronics.