required to change the drain current (ID) by one decade in the subthreshold region,
typically expressed in units of millivolts per decade (mV/decade). A smaller SS indicates better
gate control and lower off-state leakage current.
Now, let's address why SS increases linearly with temperature up to around 300°C and why
there's a deviation beyond that temperature:
1. Linear Increase up to ~300°C: At lower temperatures, the increase in SS with
temperature is primarily due to the increase in carrier generation and thermal
excitation of carriers in the semiconductor material. As temperature rises, more electrons
are thermally generated in the channel region, leading to increased off-state leakage
current and a higher SS. This increase tends to be relatively linear within a certain
temperature range, typically up to around 300°C.
2. Deviation Beyond 300°C: Beyond 300°C, there's a deviation from the linear
increase in SS due to additional factors coming into play. One significant factor is the
enhanced gate and passivation leakage. At higher temperatures, the leakage currents
through the gate dielectric and passivation layers become more significant. These
leakage currents can degrade the effectiveness of the gate in controlling the channel,
leading to a more pronounced increase in SS and off-state leakage current.
Additionally, at higher temperatures, other phenomena such as thermionic emission over the
Schottky barrier at the gate electrode-semiconductor interface and interface trap states become
more pronounced. These factors can contribute to the non-linear increase in SS observed beyond
300°C.
In summary, the linear increase in SS with temperature up to around 300°C is primarily due to
increased carrier generation and thermal excitation of carriers in the semiconductor
material. Beyond 300°C, additional factors such as enhanced gate and passivation leakage and
other temperature-dependent phenomena lead to a deviation from the linear trend.
why The device experienced a significant loss in current capacity,
decreasing by approximately 65% at 500 °C compared to its room
temperature (RT) value when measured at V_DS = 3 V?
why Increase in ON-resistance (R_ON) (fig b)
R_ON increased substantially with temperature, showing about a 4.3-
fold increase from 27 °C to 500 °C?
The significant loss in current capacity at 500°C compared to room temperature (RT) is primarily
due to the increase in resistance within the device. This increased resistance leads to higher
voltage drops across the device for a given current, reducing its ability to carry current
effectively. The main factors contributing to this increase in resistance include:
• Sheet Resistance (Rsh) Increase: The sheet resistance of the two-dimensional
electron gas (2DEG) within the device increases monotonically with temperature. This
increased sheet resistance restricts the flow of current through the device, leading to a
decrease in current carrying capacity.
• Reduction in Mobility (µ): The mobility of charge carriers within the device
decreases with temperature. As mobility decreases, the carriers encounter more
scattering events, hindering their motion and increasing the overall resistance of the
device.
• No Significant Variation in Carrier Concentration (n2DEG): The carrier
concentration of the 2DEG remains relatively constant with temperature. Therefore, the
increase in resistance is not primarily due to a decrease in carrier concentration but rather
a decrease in mobility.
Regarding the increase in ON-resistance (R_ON), it substantially rises with temperature due to
the following reasons:
• Increase in Sheet Resistance (Rsh): The increase in sheet resistance directly
contributes to the increase in ON-resistance. As Rsh increases with temperature, the
overall resistance encountered by the current flow within the device increases, leading to
higher ON-resistance.
• Reduction in Mobility (µ): The decrease in mobility of charge carriers with
increasing temperature also plays a significant role in increasing ON-resistance. Reduced
mobility results in more scattering and higher resistance within the device.
The combination of these factors results in a substantial increase in ON-resistance as temperature
rises, showing about a 4.3-fold increase from 27°C to 500°C.
(1)Initial Degradation: First stress phase caused approx. 3.6%
degradation in ID and 18.8% increase in gate current (IG).
(2)Recovery: Removal of stress allowed recovery of 40%–50% of ID and
IG degradation, attributed to fast detrapping of electrons
(3)Reintroduction of Stress: Subsequent stress phases reintroduced
electrons into the traps, with partial recovery after stress removal
1. Initial Degradation:
• Cause: The first stress phase induced approximately 3.6% degradation in drain
current (ID) and an 18.8% increase in gate current (IG).
• Mechanism: Electrons were trapped in the AlGaN barrier, leading to a
decrease in ID and an increase in IG.
