A Lateral AlGaN/GaN Schottky Barrier Diode with 0.36 V Turn-on Voltage and 10 kV Breakdown Voltage by Using Double Barrier Anode Structure

TL;DR

This paper presents a lateral AlGaN/GaN Schottky barrier diode with a low 0.36 V turn-on voltage and a high 10 kV breakdown voltage, achieved through a double barrier anode structure on sapphire.

Contribution

Introduction of a double barrier anode structure in AlGaN/GaN SBDs to achieve low turn-on voltage and high breakdown voltage on sapphire substrate.

Findings

Turn-on voltage as low as 0.36 V

Breakdown voltage exceeds 10 kV

Power figure of merit reaches 4.0 GW/cm^2

Abstract

In this letter, we demonstrate a lateral AlGaN/GaN Schottky barrier diode (SBD) on sapphire substrate with low turn-on voltage (Von) and high breakdown voltage (VBK). By using a double barrier anode (DBA) structure formed by the mixture of Platinum (Pt) and Tantalum (Ta), the Von of the SBD can be as low as 0.36 V with a leakage current of 2.5E-6 A/mm. Supported by the high-quality carbon-doped GaN buffer on sapphire, the VBK can reach more than 10 kV with the anode-to-cathode spacing of 85 {\mu}m. Combining the VBK and the specific on-resistance (Ron,sp) of 25.1 m{\Omega}.cm^2, the power figure of merit of the SBD can reach 4.0 GW/cm^2, demonstrating a great potential for the application in ultra-high-voltage electronics.