Improved Power Performance and the Mechanism of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs Using Si-Rich SiN/S₃N₄ Bilayer Passivation

AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) with Si-rich SiN/Si3N4 bilayer passivation were studied in this article. The use of a Si-rich SiN interlayer leads to improved channel transport property, current collapse, power performance, and temperature-dependent stability. Devices without Si-rich SiN interlayer passivation exhibit an increase in the gate leakage current by over three orders of magnitudes with temperature increasing from 300 to 420 K, leading to an increase in a current collapse from 9.7% to 24.7%, while the devices with Si-rich SiN passivation exhibit a weak temperature dependence of leakage current and a constant current collapse about 5%. Small signal characterization shows that Si-rich SiN passivation results in a remarkable decrease in the effective gate length by 15% with temperature up to 420 K. At 17 GHz, devices with Si-rich SiN interlayer passivation exhibit an output power density of 7 W/mm and a peak power-added efficiency (PAE) of 56%. The improved power performance of devices using Si-rich SiN interlayer passivation is attributed to the suppressed current collapse and superior device stability under high channel temperature.