Electron trapping in metal-insulator-semiconductor structures on n-GaN with SiO2 and Si3N4 dielectrics

Electron trapping in Al-gate n-GaN∕nitrided-thin-Ga2O3∕SiO2 and n-GaN∕Si3N4 MIS capacitors was evaluated by capacitance-voltage (C–V) measurements. Significant positive flatband voltage shift (ΔVfb) was observed with increasing starting dc bias in the C–V measurements. For similar equivalent oxide thickness and under the same C–V measurement conditions, ΔVfb in the nitride was 3–10 times larger than in the oxide samples. It is suggested that flatband voltage shifts are due to border traps in SiO2 and to interface and bulk traps in Si3N4 samples.