Dislocations as quantum wires: Buffer leakage in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures

作者:Reynolds C Lewis Jr*; Reynolds Judith G; Crespo Antonio; Gillespie James K; Chabak Kelson D; Davis Robert F
来源:Journal of Materials Research, 2013, 28(13): 1687-1691.
DOI:10.1557/jmr.2013.76

摘要

Buffer leakage in aluminum gallium nitride/gallium nitride (AlGaN/GaN) heterostructure transistors is recognized as an issue that has deleterious consequences on device performance for high-power, high-frequency transistors and has been related to the presence of uncharged threading screw dislocations. In this study, we demonstrate that measurements of buffer leakage in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures grown on bulk gallium nitride (GaN) substrates are consistent with a mechanism based on the concept of dislocations acting as quantum wires in series with unintentional silicon (Si) impurity incorporation at the bulk GaN substrate/GaN buffer interface. The number of electronic channels N deduced from the leakage data using Landauer%26apos;s formula for the quantum resistance of N electronic channels is consistent with the number of dislocations along the ohmic contact pads determined from panchromatic cathodoluminescence and x-ray diffraction measurements of the dislocation density. This mechanism is consistent with Shockley%26apos;s suggestion that dislocations can act as one-dimensional conductors due to the presence of edge states along the dislocation core.

  • 出版日期2013-7