skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: Room temperature two-dimensional electron gas scattering time, effective mass, and mobility parameters in Al x Ga1− x N/GaN heterostructures (0.07 ≤  x  ≤ 0.42)
AlxGa1−xN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) structures are key components in electronic devices operating at gigahertz or higher frequencies. In order to optimize such HEMT structures, understanding their electronic response at high frequencies and room temperature is required. Here, we present a study of the room temperature free charge carrier properties of the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in HEMT structures with varying Al content in the AlxGa1−xN barrier layers between x=0.07 and x=0.42. We discuss and compare 2DEG sheet density, mobility, effective mass, sheet resistance, and scattering times, which are determined by theoretical calculations, contactless Hall effect, capacitance-voltage, Eddy current, and cavity-enhanced terahertz optical Hall effect (THz-OHE) measurements using a low-field permanent magnet (0.6 T). From our THz-OHE results, we observe that the measured mobility reduction from x=0.13 to x=0.42 is driven by the decrease in 2DEG scattering time, and not the change in effective mass. For x<0.42, the 2DEG effective mass is found to be larger than for electrons in bulk GaN, which in turn, contributes to a decrease in the principally achievable mobility. From our theoretical calculations, we find that values close to 0.3m0 can be explained by the combined effects of conduction band nonparabolicity, polarons, and hybridization of the electron wavefunction through penetration into the barrier layer.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2044049
PAR ID:
10636590
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Journal of Applied Physics
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Physics
Volume:
134
Issue:
18
ISSN:
0021-8979
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. We report on the free charge carrier properties of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in an AlN/AlxGa1–xN high electron mobility transistor structure with a high aluminum content (x = 0.78). The 2DEG sheet density Ns=(7.3±0.7)×1012 cm−2, sheet mobility μs=(270±40) cm2/(Vs), sheet resistance Rs=(3200±500) Ω/◻, and effective mass meff=(0.63±0.04)m0 at low temperatures (T=5 K) are determined by terahertz (THz) optical Hall effect measurements. The experimental 2DEG mobility in the channel is found within the expected range, and the sheet carrier density is in good agreement with self-consistent Poisson–Schrödinger calculations. However, a significant increase in the effective mass of 2DEG electrons at low temperatures is found in comparison with the respective value in bulk Al0.78Ga22N (meff=0.334 m0). Possible mechanisms for the enhanced 2DEG effective mass parameter are discussed and quantified using self-consistent Poisson–Schrödinger calculations. 
    more » « less
  2. Group-III nitrides have transformed solid-state lighting and are strategically positioned to revolutionize high-power and high-frequency electronics. To drive this development forward, a deep understanding of fundamental material properties, such as charge carrier behavior, is essential and can also unveil new and unforeseen applications. This underscores the necessity for novel characterization tools to study group-III nitride materials and devices. The optical Hall effect (OHE) emerges as a contactless method for exploring the transport and electronic properties of semiconductor materials, simultaneously offering insights into their dielectric function. This non-destructive technique employs spectroscopic ellipsometry at long wavelengths in the presence of a magnetic field and provides quantitative information on the charge carrier density, sign, mobility, and effective mass of individual layers in multilayer structures and bulk materials. In this paper, we explore the use of terahertz (THz) OHE to study the charge carrier properties in group-III nitride heterostructures and bulk material. Examples include graded AlGaN channel high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) structures for high-linearity devices, highlighting the different grading profiles and their impact on the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) properties. Next, we demonstrate the sensitivity of the THz OHE to distinguish the 2DEG anisotropic mobility parameters in N-polar GaN/AlGaN HEMTs and show that this anisotropy is induced by the step-like surface morphology. Finally, we present the temperature-dependent results on the charge carrier properties of 2DEG and bulk electrons in GaN with a focus on the effective mass parameter and review the effective mass parameters reported in the literature. These studies showcase the capabilities of the THz OHE for advancing the understanding and development of group-III materials and devices. 
    more » « less
  3. Due to its high breakdown electric field, the ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor AlGaN has garnered much attention recently as a promising channel material for next-generation high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). A comprehensive experimental study of the effects of Al composition x on the transport and structural properties is lacking. We report the charge control and transport properties of polarization-induced 2D electron gases (2DEGs) in strained AlGaN quantum well channels in molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown AlN/AlxGa1−xN/AlN double heterostructures by systematically varying the Al content from x = 0 (GaN) to x = 0.74, spanning energy bandgaps of the conducting HEMT channels from 3.49 to 4.9 eV measured by photoluminescence. This results in a tunable 2DEG density from 0 to 3.7 × 1013 cm2. The room temperature mobilities of x ≥ 0.25 AlGaN channel HEMTs were limited by alloy disorder scattering to below 50 cm2/(V.s) for these 2DEG densities, leaving ample room for further heterostructure design improvements to boost mobilities. A characteristic alloy fluctuation energy of ≥1.8 eV for electron scattering in AlGaN alloy is estimated based on the temperature dependent electron transport experiments. 
    more » « less
  4. Electron effective mass is a fundamental material parameter defining the free charge carrier transport properties, but it is very challenging to be experimentally determined at high temperatures relevant to device operation. In this work, we obtain the electron effective mass parameters in a Si-doped GaN bulk substrate and epitaxial layers from terahertz (THz) and mid-infrared (MIR) optical Hall effect (OHE) measurements in the temperature range of 38–340 K. The OHE data are analyzed using the well-accepted Drude model to account for the free charge carrier contributions. A strong temperature dependence of the electron effective mass parameter in both bulk and epitaxial GaN with values ranging from (0.18 ± 0.02) m0 to (0.34 ± 0.01) m0 at a low temperature (38 K) and room temperature, respectively, is obtained from the THz OHE analysis. The observed effective mass enhancement with temperature is evaluated and discussed in view of conduction band nonparabolicity, polaron effect, strain, and deviations from the classical Drude behavior. On the other hand, the electron effective mass parameter determined by MIR OHE is found to be temperature independent with a value of (0.200 ± 0.002) m0. A possible explanation for the different findings from THz OHE and MIR OHE is proposed. 
    more » « less
  5. To enhance the electron mobility in quantum-well high-electron-mobility transistors (QW HEMTs), we investigate the transport properties in AlN/GaN/AlN heterostructures on Al-polar single-crystal AlN substrates. Theoretical modeling combined with experiment shows that interface roughness scattering due to high electric field in the quantum well limits mobility. Increasing the width of the quantum well to its relaxed form reduces the internal electric field and scattering, resulting in a binary QW HEMT with a high two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) density of 3.68×1013 cm–2, a mobility of 823 cm2/Vs, and a record-low room temperature (RT) sheet resistance of 206 Ω/□. Further reduction of the quantum well electric field yields a 2DEG density of 2.53×1013 cm–2 and RT mobility > 1000 cm2/V s. These findings will enable future developments in high-voltage and high-power microwave applications on the ultrawide bandgap AlN substrate platform. 
    more » « less