Pulsed N2 plasma surface treatment for AlGaN/GaN HEMTs prior to PECVD SiNx passivation to reduce plasma damage

IF 3.5 2区物理与天体物理 Q2 PHYSICS, APPLIED

Applied Physics Letters Pub Date : 2024-11-18 DOI:10.1063/5.0235740

Kaiyu Wang, Ke Wei, Ruizhe Zhang, Sheng Zhang, Jiaqi Guo, Xiaoqiang He, Jianchao Wang, Sen Huang, Yingkui Zheng, Xiaojuan Chen, Xinhua Wang, Xinyu Liu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

In this work, a pulse-mode N2 plasma surface treatment process was proposed as a means of reducing plasma damage and improving the GaN/GaOx ratio on the surface before SiNx deposition, which further contributes to an enhanced density of 2DEG and a reduced sheet resistance. With the pulsed N2 plasma surface treatment combined with subsequent SiNx passivation, the fabricated GaN HEMTs exhibit negligible current collapse and suppressed leakage current. The improved behavior is attributed to the fact that the pulsed N2 plasma is capable of nitriding the surface and removing carbon contaminants as identified through x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Compared to the traditional continuous-wave-mode N2 plasma, the pulsed N2 plasma pre-treatment effectively prevents continuous collisions of the plasma during acceleration, thereby significantly reducing plasma damage. This work offers valuable insights for surface treatment processes in micro- and nanofabrication.

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在 PECVD SiNx 钝化之前对 AlGaN/GaN HEMT 进行脉冲 N2 等离子表面处理以减少等离子损伤

在这项工作中，提出了一种脉冲模式 N2 等离子体表面处理工艺，作为在 SiNx 沉积之前减少等离子体损伤和改善 GaN/GaOx 表面比率的一种手段，这进一步有助于提高 2DEG 密度和降低薄层电阻。脉冲 N2 等离子体表面处理与随后的 SiNx 钝化相结合，制造出的 GaN HEMT 具有可忽略的电流塌陷和受抑制的漏电流。通过 X 射线光电子能谱分析和能量色散 X 射线能谱分析发现，脉冲 N2 等离子体能够使表面氮化并去除碳污染物，从而改善了性能。与传统的连续波模式 N2 等离子体相比，脉冲 N2 等离子体预处理可有效防止等离子体在加速过程中发生连续碰撞，从而显著减少等离子体损伤。这项工作为微米和纳米制造中的表面处理工艺提供了宝贵的启示。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Applied Physics Letters 物理-物理：应用

CiteScore

6.40

自引率

10.00%

发文量

1821

审稿时长

1.6 months

期刊介绍： Applied Physics Letters (APL) features concise, up-to-date reports on significant new findings in applied physics. Emphasizing rapid dissemination of key data and new physical insights, APL offers prompt publication of new experimental and theoretical papers reporting applications of physics phenomena to all branches of science, engineering, and modern technology. In addition to regular articles, the journal also publishes invited Fast Track, Perspectives, and in-depth Editorials which report on cutting-edge areas in applied physics. APL Perspectives are forward-looking invited letters which highlight recent developments or discoveries. Emphasis is placed on very recent developments, potentially disruptive technologies, open questions and possible solutions. They also include a mini-roadmap detailing where the community should direct efforts in order for the phenomena to be viable for application and the challenges associated with meeting that performance threshold. Perspectives are characterized by personal viewpoints and opinions of recognized experts in the field. Fast Track articles are invited original research articles that report results that are particularly novel and important or provide a significant advancement in an emerging field. Because of the urgency and scientific importance of the work, the peer review process is accelerated. If, during the review process, it becomes apparent that the paper does not meet the Fast Track criterion, it is returned to a normal track.