Effect of self-heating on electrical characteristics of AlGaN/ GaN HEMT on Si (111) substrate

In order to study the effect of self-heating of AlGaN/ GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) characteristics fabricated on Si(111) substrate, simulations of 2DEG temperature on different drain voltages have been carried out by Sentaurus TCAD simulator tool. Prior to the electrical direct-current (DC) characteristics studies, structural properties of the HEMT structures were examined by scanning transmission electron microscopy. The comparative analysis of simulation and experimental data provided sheet carrier concentration, mobility, surface traps, electron density at 2DEG by considering factors such as high field saturation, tunneling and recombination models. Mobility, surface trap concentration and contact resistance were obtained by TCAD simulation and found out to be ∼1270cm2/Vs, ∼2×1013 cm-2 and ∼0.2 Ω.mm, respectively, which are in agreement with the experimental results. Consequently, simulated current-voltage characteristics of HEMTs are in good agreement with experimental results. The present simulator tool can be used to design new device structures for III-nitride technology.