Interface/border trap characterization of Al2O3/AlN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor structures with an AlN interfacial layer

Abstract

We report the interface characterization of Al2O3/AlN/GaN MOS (metal-oxide-semiconductor) structures with an AlN interfacial layer. A thin monocrystal-like interfacial layer (AlN) is formed at the Al2O3/GaN to effectively block oxygen from the GaN surface and prevent the formation of detrimental Ga-O bonds. The suppression of Ga-O bonds is validated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the critical interface. Frequency-dispersion in C-V characteristics has been significantly reduced, owing to improved interface quality. Furthermore, using the conventional conductance method suitable for extracting the interface trap density Dit in MOS structures, Dit in the device with AlN was determined to be in the range of 1011–1012 eV−1 cm−2, showing one order of magnitude lower than that without AlN. Border traps near the gate-dielectric/GaN interface were identified and shown to be suppressed by the AlN interfacial layer as well.