AlGaN/GaN Heterostructures: Fabrication and Electrical Characterization

Group III-nitrides, in particular GaN and its heterostructures with AlGaN, have some unique electronic material properties that make these material systems almost ideally suited for the fabrication of a number of high-performance electronic and optoelectronic devices. A study of MBE grown Al0.2Ga0.8N/GaN heterostructures was conducted. Rectifying and ohmic contacts were fabricated for electrical characterization of the heterostructure. These contacts were fabricated by sputter deposition of metal films. A multi-layer Ti/Al/Ni/Au (15/60/35/50nm) metallization and subsequent anneal was employed to form ohmic contacts. A contact resistivity of 2.0 x 10-3 Ohm.cm2 was obtained. Though this value was high but was expected of unintentionally doped n/n Ni Al0.2Ga0.8N/GaN unipolar heterostructure. Rectifying contacts were obtained by depositing Ni on the AlGaN/GaN film, overcoated with Au (Ni/Au, 20/180nm). Fabricated HEMT devices exhibited transistor behavior with transconductance values between of 1.0 and 2.5 mS; however, saturation was not observed. A drift mobility ~130 cm2/V.s was estimated from the calculated transconductance.