AlGaN/GaN HEMT device physics and electrothermal modeling

Publication Date

1-1-2022

Document Type

Contribution to a Book

Publication Title

Thermal Management of Gallium Nitride Electronics

Editor

Marko J. Tadjer and Travis J. Anderson

DOI

10.1016/B978-0-12-821084-0.00012-3

First Page

103

Last Page

163

Abstract

Gallium nitride (GaN) has emerged as one of the most attractive materials for radio frequency (RF) and power conversion technologies that require high-power and high-frequency devices. This is due to the superior material properties of GaN including the wide bandgap (Eg =3.4eV), high saturation velocity (vs =3×107 cm/s), good electron mobility, large critical electric field (Ec ~3MV/cm), and reasonable thermal conductivity (κ~150W/m-K at room temperature). The ~10× higher breakdown field than Si makes GaN devices suitable for high voltage operations while the high saturation velocity ensures its applicability for high-frequency operations, as shown in references. Among the various GaN-based devices, AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are suitable for high-power applications due to their low on-resistance that stems from the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) formed near the AlGaN/GaN heterointerface due to the spontaneous and piezoelectric polarizations of GaN and AlGaN. In this chapter, we will explain detailed procedures to perform electrothermal modeling of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.

Keywords

Electrothermal modeling, Gallium nitride, High electron mobility transistor (HEMT), Sentaurus TCAD, Wide bandgap semiconductors

Department

Electrical Engineering

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