Comparative study on unpassivated and passivated AlGaN/GaN HFETs and MOSHFETs

In this comparative study we investigate AlGaN/GaN-based unpassivated and passivated HFETs and MOSHFETs with regards to DC-, RF-, and power-performance. For optimal comparability, all devices emanate from the same wafer consisting of a SiC-substrate, a 3 μm GaN- and a 30 nm Al0.28Ga0.72N-layer. Devices are processed simultaneously to a large extend. Passivated devices are coated with a 10 nm thick SiO2-layer between the electrodes, MOSHFETs contain a 10 nm thick SiO2-layer serving as gate-insulator underneath the gate and as conventional passivation-layer between the electrodes. Unpassivated devices serve as reference. We present empirical evidence that MOSHFETs outperform both the conventional and the passivated HFETs with respect to DC-, RF-, and power-performance, and we point out the different mechanisms responsible for the behaviour of the devices.