InGaN/GaN Schottky Diodes With Enhanced Voltage Handling Capability for Varactor Applications

Author

Lu, Wei ; Wang, Lingquan ; Gu, Siyuan ; Aplin, David P R ; Estrada, Daniel M. ; Yu, Paul K L ; Asbeck, Peter M.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Univ. of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

Volume

31

Issue

10

fYear

2010

Firstpage

1119

Lastpage

1121

Abstract

In this letter, we demonstrate a design of GaN-based Schottky diodes for microwave varactor applications. Using suitable InGaN surface layer structures, the Schottky diodes exhibit an enhanced high-voltage handling capability. The breakdown voltage is increased by ~40 V, and the reverse leakage current is significantly suppressed under high reverse voltages. The breakdown-voltage enhancement and leakage-current suppression are attributed to a reduction in the surface electric field and an increase in the electron tunneling distance due to polarization-induced charges at the InGaN/GaN interface.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; Schottky diodes; gallium compounds; indium compounds; leakage currents; polarisation; tunnelling; varactors; InGaN-GaN; InGaN/GaN Schottky diode; breakdown-voltage enhancement; electron tunneling distance; leakage-current suppression; microwave varactor; polarization-induced charges; surface electric field; voltage handling capability; Breakdown voltage; Capacitance; DH-HEMTs; Doping; Gallium nitride; Geometry; Leakage current; Materials; Polarization; Resistance; Schottky diodes; Tunneling; Varactors; Diode breakdown voltage; GaN varactor; InGaN/GaN heterojunction; Schottky diode leakage current; polarization charge;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Device Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0741-3106

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LED.2010.2058843

Filename

5549848