Two-dimensional electron gases induced by spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization charges in N- and Ga-face AlGaN/GaN heterostructures

O. Ambacher; J. Smart; J. R. Shealy; N. G. Weimann; K. Chu; M. Murphy; W. J. Schaff; L. F. Eastman; R. Dimitrov; L. Wittmer; M. Stutzmann; W. Rieger; J. Hilsenbeck

doi:10.1063/1.369664

journal article Mar 15, 1999

Two-dimensional electron gases induced by spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization charges in N- and Ga-face AlGaN/GaN heterostructures

J. Smart J. R. Shealy N. G. Weimann K. Chu M. Murphy W. J. Schaff L. F. Eastman R. Dimitrov L. Wittmer M. Stutzmann W. Rieger J. Hilsenbeck

Journal of Applied Physics Vol. 85 No. 6 pp. 3222-3233 · AIP Publishing

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Abstract

Carrier concentration profiles of two-dimensional electron gases are investigated in wurtzite, Ga-face AlxGa1−xN/GaN/AlxGa1−xN and N-face GaN/AlxGa1−xN/GaN heterostructures used for the fabrication of field effect transistors. Analysis of the measured electron distributions in heterostructures with AlGaN barrier layers of different Al concentrations (0.15&lt;x&lt;0.5) and thickness between 20 and 65 nm demonstrate the important role of spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization on the carrier confinement at GaN/AlGaN and AlGaN/GaN interfaces. Characterization of the electrical properties of nominally undoped transistor structures reveals the presence of high sheet carrier concentrations, increasing from 6×1012 to 2×1013 cm−2 in the GaN channel with increasing Al-concentration from x=0.15 to 0.31. The observed high sheet carrier concentrations and strong confinement at specific interfaces of the N- and Ga-face pseudomorphic grown heterostructures can be explained as a consequence of interface charges induced by piezoelectric and spontaneous polarization effects.

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Citations

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References

Details

Published: Mar 15, 1999
Vol/Issue: 85(6)
Pages: 3222-3233

Authors

O

O. Ambacher