Mechanism of frequency-dependent gate breakdown in p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

In this Letter, time-dependent gate breakdown (TDB) characteristics under dynamic switching conditions were investigated in p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) with either Schottky-type or Ohmic-type gates. The dynamic TDB of the Schottky-type devices increased with frequencies ranging from 100 Hz to 100 kHz, while that of the Ohmic-type devices remained frequency-independent. This was analyzed by the frequency-dependent electroluminescence (EL) characteristics on both types of devices with semi-transparent gate electrodes. The electroluminescence (EL) emission intensity of Schottky-type devices increased with elevated frequencies, notably for blue and ultraviolet emissions, which exhibited a pronounced positive correlation with frequency. In contrast, the EL emissions of Ohmic-type devices were frequency-independent. Energy band diagrams were drawn to explain the different TDB and EL behaviors between two types of devices. The frequency-enhanced EL emissions of the Schottky-type devices indicated the frequency-enhanced hole injection and radiative recombination, which then suppressed the hot-electron effects on the metal/p-GaN junction and enhanced the dynamic TDB in p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.