Comparative analysis of hot‐electron transport in AlGaN/GaN and AlGaN/AlN/GaN 2DEG channels

Abstract

Abstract Nanosecond‐pulsed current–voltage measurements were used to study hot‐electron transport in undoped AlGaN/GaN and AlGaN/AlN/GaN two‐dimensional electron gas channels biased up to 200 kV/cm. Voltage pulses of 1 ns were applied in order to minimize channel heating. The current saturated at 100 kV/cm in the AlN‐interbarrier‐contained structures; the estimated saturated drift velocity was about 1.1 × 10 7 cm/s. No saturation of the current was observed in AlGaN/GaN channels in the field range below 200 kV/cm. Monte Carlo simulation of hot‐electron transport was carried out with electron gas degeneracy and hot phonons taken into account. A fairly good fit of the experimental results with the Monte Carlo simulation data was obtained in the electric field range up to 30 kV/cm. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)