Enhancement-Mode AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors Using a Nano-Channel Array Structure

A nano-channel array (NCA) structure is applied to realize enhancement-mode (E-mode) AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). The fabricated NCA-HEMT, consisting of 1000 channels connected in parallel with a channel width of 64 nm, shows a threshold voltage of 0.15 V and a subthreshold slope of 78 mV/dec, compared to −3.92 V and 99 mV/dec for a conventional HEMT (C-HEMT), respectively Both the NCA-HEMT and C-HEMT show similar gate leakage current, indicating no significant degradation in gate leakage characteristics for the NCA-HEMT. The surrounding-field effect and relieved polarization contribute to the very large positive threshold voltage shift, while the work function difference makes it positive.