Nitride based transistors on semi-insulating silicon carbide substrates

• US 6,316,793 B1
• Filed: 06/12/1998
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wolfspeed, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sheppard, Scott Thomas, Palmour, John Williams, Allen, Scott Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier, Stephen D.
• Application Number:
  US09/096,967
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 257/103, 257/96
• US Class Current: 257/103
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1608 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/2003 Nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/267 in different semiconductor regions , e.g. heterojunctions H01L29/263 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/452 on AIII-BV compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7783 using III-V semiconductor material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7787 with wide bandgap charge-carrier supplying layer, e.g. direct single heterostructure MODFET

Abstract

A high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) is disclosed that includes a semi-insulating silicon carbide substrate, an aluminum nitride buffer layer on the substrate, an insulating gallium nitride layer on the buffer layer, an active structure of aluminum gallium nitride on the gallium nitride layer, a passivation layer on the aluminum gallium nitride active structure, and respective source, drain and gate contacts to the aluminum gallium nitride active structure.

Claims

1. A high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) comprising:

a semi-insulating silicon carbide substrate;

an aluminum nitride buffer layer on said substrate;

an insulating gallium nitride layer on said buffer layer;

an active structure of aluminum gallium nitride on said gallium nitride layer that includes a first undoped aluminum gallium nitride layer on said gallium nitride insulating layer, a conductively doped aluminum gallium nitride layer on said undoped aluminum nitride layer, and a second undoped aluminum gallium nitride layer on said conductively doped aluminum nitride layer;

a passivation layer on said second undoped aluminum gallium nitride layer of said aluminum gallium nitride active structure; and

respective source, drain and gate contacts to said second undoped aluminum gallium nitride layer of said aluminum gallium nitride active structure.

2. A HEMT according to claim 1 wherein said aluminum gallium nitride active structure comprises an undoped layer of aluminum gallium nitride.

3. A HEMT according to claim 1 wherein said passivation layer is selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride.

4. A HEMT according to claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises the 4H polytype of silicon carbide and has a bulk resistivity higher than 10⁵ Ω

-cm.

5. A HEMT according to claim 1 wherein said source and drain contacts comprise an alloy of titanium, aluminum, and nickel.

6. A HEMT according to claim 1 wherein said gate contact is a rectifying contact selected from the group consisting of titanium, platinum, chromium, alloys of titanium and tungsten, and platinum silicide.

7. A HEMT according to claim 1 wherein said source and drain contacts comprise an alloy of titanium, silicon, and nickel.

8. A HEMT according to claim 1 wherein said AlGaN layers have the formula Al_xGa₁₋

xN where 0<

x<

1 and the value of x is the same for all three of said AlGaN layers.

9. A HEMT according to claim 1 wherein said AlGaN layers have the formula Al_xGa₁₋

xN where 0<

x<

1 and the value of x is different for at least two of said three AlGaN layers.

10. A HEMT according to claim 1 and further comprising a passivation layer on said gate and said rectifying contacts and on said heterojunction.

11. A HEMT according to claim 1 characterized by an output power of at least 2.0 watts per millimeter.

12. A HEMT according to claim 1 characterized by a total output power of at least 4.0 watts.

13. A HEMT according to claim 1 and wherein said conductively doped layer of AlGaN is donor doped.

14. A HEMT according to claim 13 wherein all three of said AlGaN layers have the same mole fraction of Al and Ga.

15. A HEMT according to claim 13 wherein at least two of said three AlGaN layers have different mole fractions of Al and Ga.