DLTS characterization of silicon nitride passivated AlGaN/GaN heterostructures

Passivating the ungated surface of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with silicon nitride (SiN) is effective in improving the microwave output power performances of these devices. However, very little information is available about surface states in GaN-based HEMTs after SiN passivation. In this work we investigate AlGaN/GaN HEMTs structures having either metal–semiconductor or metal–SiN–semiconductor gate contacts. In short gate devices conductance DLTS measurements point out a hole-like peak that shows an anomalous behaviour and can be ascribed to surface states in the access regions of the device. In insulated gate HEMTs a band of levels is detected and ascribed to surface states, whose energy ranges from 0.14 to 0.43 eV. Capacitance–voltage measurements allow us to point out the existence of a second band of interface states deeper in energy than the former one. This band is responsible for slow transients observed in the characteristics of the insulated gate FAT-HEMT.