Novel high-current density GaN-based normally off transistor with tensile-strained quaternary InAlGaN barrier

Abstract

A GaN-based normally off heterostructure field effect transistor (HFET) with high current density and with a quaternary InAlGaN barrier instead of an AlGaN barrier is investigated. It is difficult to obtain both high-current operation and normally off operation in the GaN-based HFET because of the need to control the polarization-induced charge. In order to obtain a normally off operation using quaternary InAlGaN barrier, the InAlGaN barrier is selectively removed and the p-AlGaN layer is formed as the gate electrode. The obtained threshold voltage of the InAlGaN-based HFET is +1.1 V. The maximum drain current reaches as high as 0.73 A/mm, which is almost twice that of a conventional AlGaN-based normally off gate injection transistor (GIT).