Papers by Keyword: AlGaN/GaN Heterostructures

Abstract: A nanoscale electrical characterization of graphene (Gr) contacts to Al_xGa_1-xN/GaN heterostructures has been carried out using conductive atomic force microscopy. The impact of the AlGaN microstructure on the current transport at Gr/AlGaN interface was evaluated considering two Al_0.25Ga_0.75N/GaN heterostructures with very different quality in terms of surface roughness and defectivity, i.e. a uniform and defect-free sample and a sample with a high density of V-defects, that locally cause a reduction of the AlGaN thickness. Rectifying contacts were found on the bare (Gr-free) AlGaN surfaces of both samples, but with a more inhomogeneous and lower Schottky barrier height (Φ_B≈0.6 eV) in the presence of V-defects with respect to the case of the uniform AlGaN (Φ_B≈0.9 eV). Very different electrical behaviour was observed for Gr on the two AlGaN samples, i.e. a low barrier height Schottky contact (Φ_B≈0.4 eV) for the uniform AlGaN and an Ohmic contact for the defective AlGaN. Both Schottky and ohmic Gr/AlGaN contacts exhibit an excellent lateral uniformity, that can be ascribed to an averaging effect of the Gr electrode over the AlGaN interfacial inhomogeneities.

Abstract: Carrier transport properties of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures have been analyzed with the quantitative mobility spectrum analysis (QMSA) technique. The nominally-undoped Al0.15Ga0.85N/GaN sample was grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy. Variable-magneticfield Hall measurements were carried out in the temperature range of 4-160 K and magnetic field range of 0-6.6 T. QMSA was applied to the experimental variable-field data to extract the concentrations and mobilities associated with the high-mobility 2DEG and the relatively lowmobility bulk electrons for the temperature range investigated. For temperatures below 100 K the calculated mobility and carrier density values were close to the experimental results. No bulk conduction was observed in this temperature range. At 160 K, QMSA results show that parallel conduction in 3 mm thick GaN layer started to affect the average electron mobility.