Effect of GaN/AlGaN Buffer Thickness on the Electrothermal Performance of AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors on Engineered Substrates

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors on QST engineered substrates are grown with different GaN/AlGaN buffer layer thickness. The as-grown heterostructures are evaluated for their structural quality via atomic force microscopy, high-resolution X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and steady-state thermoreflectance. Transistor devices are fabricated and evaluated via DC and pulsed electrical techniques, as well as thermoreflectance imaging. It is reported that buffer layer thickness of at least 10 μm can result in lateral high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) with simultaneously high GaN quality, low stress, good DC electrical performance, low current collapse, and low thermal resistance.