Abstract
This letter reports the first implementation of a hydrogen-plasma-based edge termination technique (HPET) in vertical GaN p-n power diodes grown on bulk GaN substrates using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The device with a 9- μm -thick drift layer exhibited a high breakdown voltage ( Vbd) of 1.57 kV, a low ON-resistance (RON) of 0.45 mΩ.cm2 (or 0.70 mΩ . cm2 with current spreading considered) and a high Baliga's figure-of-merit (V2bd/RON) of 5.5 GW/cm2 (or 3.6 GW/cm2) without passivation or field plate, which are close to the theoretical limit of GaN. This technique enabled a significant reduction in leakage current (106 times at -300 V) and a huge enhancement in Vbd(from 300 V to 1.57 kV). Furthermore, the device showed good forward characteristics with a turn-ON voltage of 3.5 V, an ON-current of 2 kA/cm2 (or 1.3 kA/cm2), an ON/OFF ratio of 109, and an ideality factor of 1.4. This work shows the HPET can serve as an effective, low cost, and easy-to-implement edge termination technique for high voltage and high power GaN p-n power diodes.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1018-1021 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | IEEE Electron Device Letters |
Volume | 39 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 2018 |
Keywords
- Gallium nitride
- breakdown
- edge termination
- p-n diodes
- power electronics
- wide bandgap semiconductor
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering