With electroluminescence microcopy towards more reliable AlGaN/GaN transistors

Martina Baeumler; Michael Dammann; Matthias Wespel; Roshna George; Helmer Konstanzer; Stephan Maroldt; Vladimir M. Polyakov; Stefan Müller; Wolfgang Bronner; Peter Brückner; Fouad Benkhelifa; Patrick Waltereit; Rüdiger Quay; Michael Mikulla; Joachim Wagner; Oliver Ambacher; Andreas Graff; Frank Altmann; Michél Simon-Najasek; Martino Lorenzini; Martin Fagerlind; Paul J. van der Wel; Thomas Roedle

doi:10.1117/12.2189521

28 August 2015 With electroluminescence microcopy towards more reliable AlGaN/GaN transistors

Martina Baeumler, Michael Dammann, Matthias Wespel, Roshna George, Helmer Konstanzer, Stephan Maroldt, Vladimir M. Polyakov, Stefan Müller, Wolfgang Bronner, Peter Brückner, Fouad Benkhelifa, Patrick Waltereit, Rüdiger Quay, Michael Mikulla, Joachim Wagner, Oliver Ambacher, Andreas Graff, Frank Altmann, Michél Simon-Najasek, Martino Lorenzini, Martin Fagerlind, Paul J. van der Wel, Thomas Roedle

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9555, Optical Sensing, Imaging, and Photon Counting: Nanostructured Devices and Applications; 95550Y (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2189521
Event: SPIE Nanoscience + Engineering, 2015, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Long-term stability and reliability of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMT) can be validated by various stress tests which allow studying the physical mechanisms responsible for degradation. As the electroluminescence (EL) intensity is related to the kinetic energy and density of the channel electrons accelerated in the electric field, both local current and electric field changes can result in an increase or decrease of the EL intensity. The electric field distribution in source drain direction peaks at the drain side edge of the gate foot and the field plates. It is strongly dependent on the gate design and the passivation /semiconductor interface trap density. Although the spatial resolution of the electroluminescence microscopy (ELM) set-up is limited to a few microns, the technique allows to monitor submicron changes in the device geometry and hence to identify elevated electric field peaks being responsible for the acceleration of the degradation process. ELM also benefits from the fact that submicron imperfections at the Schottky interface of the gate electrode result in strong local current variations. It has been used to selectively identify suitable positions for further failure analysis of focused ion beam prepared cross sections by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Process induced imperfections as voids at the Schottky interface after stress have been localized.

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Martina Baeumler, Michael Dammann, Matthias Wespel, Roshna George, Helmer Konstanzer, Stephan Maroldt, Vladimir M. Polyakov, Stefan Müller, Wolfgang Bronner, Peter Brückner, Fouad Benkhelifa, Patrick Waltereit, Rüdiger Quay, Michael Mikulla, Joachim Wagner, Oliver Ambacher, Andreas Graff, Frank Altmann, Michél Simon-Najasek, Martino Lorenzini, Martin Fagerlind, Paul J. van der Wel, and Thomas Roedle "With electroluminescence microcopy towards more reliable AlGaN/GaN transistors", Proc. SPIE 9555, Optical Sensing, Imaging, and Photon Counting: Nanostructured Devices and Applications, 95550Y (28 August 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2189521

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KEYWORDS

Electroluminescence

Field effect transistors

Semiconducting wafers

Transmission electron microscopy

Green fluorescent protein

Seaborgium

Metals

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