Nanoscale mapping of temperature and defect evolution inside operating AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

• Main Authors: Lin, Chung-Han (Author), Merz, T. A. (Author), Doutt, D. R. (Author), Hetzer, M. J. (Author), Joh, Jungwoo (Contributor), del Alamo, Jesus A. (Contributor), Mishra, U. K. (Author), Brillson, L. J. (Author)
• Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Microsystems Technology Laboratories (Contributor)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Institute of Physics, 2010-10-20T12:19:55Z.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

 We used depth-resolved microcathodoluminescence spectroscopy (DRCLS) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) to measure and map the temperature distribution and defect generation inside state-of-the-art AlGaN/GaN-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) on a scale of tens of nanometers during device operation. DRCLS measurements of near band edge energies across the HEMT's source-gate-drain regions reveal monotonic temperature increases across the submicron gate-drain channel, peaking under the drain side of the gate. DRCLS defect emissions mapped laterally and localized depthwise near the two-dimensional electron gas interface increase with device operation under the drain-side gate and correlate with higher KPFM surface potential maps.