RF Transmission Line Method for Wide-Bandgap Heterostructures

Author

Koudymov, A. ; Pala, N. ; Tokranov, V. ; Oktyabrsky, S. ; Gaevski, M. ; Jain, R. ; Yang, J. ; Hu, X. ; Shur, M. ; Gaska, R. ; Simin, G.

Author_Institution

Rensselaer Polytech. Inst., Troy, NY

Volume

30

Issue

5

fYear

2009

fDate

5/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

433

Lastpage

435

Abstract

We propose a high-frequency extension of the transmission line model method that allows for independent extraction of open-surface sheet resistance of a semiconductor layer and that under metallization. The method is applied for the characterization of an AlGaN/GaN heterostructure with a high ( ~40%) Al content with and without a top dielectric layer. In both cases, the sheet resistance under the metal is approximately 30% smaller than that under the open surface. This reduction is attributed to the surface charge compensation by the top metal.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; gallium compounds; integrated circuit metallisation; semiconductor heterojunctions; transmission lines; wide band gap semiconductors; AlGaN-GaN; RF transmission line method; dielectric layer; metallization; open-surface sheet resistance; semiconductor layer; surface charge compensation; wide-bandgap heterostructures; AlGaN/GaN; contact resistance; heterostructure; high Al; sheet resistance; transmission line model (TLM);

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Device Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0741-3106

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LED.2009.2016358

Filename

4813225