Semiconductors and Devices

Low temperature characteristics of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

D.F. Lin^a1 c1, X.L. Wang^a1a2a3, H.L. Xiao^a1a2, C.M. Wang^a1a2, L.J. Qiang^a1a2, C. Feng^a1a2, H. Chen^a1a2, Q.F. Hou^a1, Q.W. Deng^a1, Y. Bi^a1 and H. Kang^a1

Materials Science Center, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 912, Beijing 100083, P.R. China

Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials Science, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 912, Beijing 100083, P.R. China

ISCAS-XJTU Joint Laboratory of Functional Materials and Devices for Informatics, P.O. Box 912, Beijing 100083, P.R. China

Abstract

The I-V characteristics of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors in the temperature range between 100 K and 300 K are studied. It is found that both the maximum drain-source current and transconductance decrease with the increase of temperature. Decrease of the electron mobility with increasing temperature is considered to be the main cause for that condition. The threshold voltage shows a forward shift, which can be explained by the increase of Schottky barrier with increasing temperature. It is found that at V_GS = 0 V the drain-source current reduces with the ascending temperature, which should be due to the variation of the electron mobility with the temperature. While at V_GS = −5 V the drain-source current is found to increase with the ascending temperature, it is suggested to be caused by the positive temperature coefficient of the electron transport in the depleted region.

(Received April 27 2011)

(Accepted July 10 2011)

(Online publication September 28 2011)

Correspondence:

^c1 e-mail: dflin@semi.ac.cn