Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunica-tions in China claims the first enhancement-modemetal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors

(MOSFETs) fabricated on a gallium nitride (GaN)-on-Silight-emitting diode (LED) epitaxial wafer [Jiabin Yan et al, IEEE Electron Device Letters, vol41, issue1 (Jan-uary 2020), p76]. Enhancement-mode devices (thatare ‘normally-off’ at 0V gate potential) are often pre-ferred with respect to lower power consumption. The research team also demonstrated the MOSFET’s

ability to control an indium gallium nitride (InGaN) LEDon the same platform. The researchers hope that suchmonolithic optical electronic integrated circuits (OEICs)could lead to applications such as smart lighting, displayand visible light communication (VLC). The Nanjing grouphas been developing VLC systems on silicon for a while[see e.g. www.semiconductor-today.com/news_items/2019/jun/nupt-130619.shtml, which contains furtherlinks].The team sees advantages to the low-cost silicon

platform as including integration with micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) batch fabricationprocesses. Although LEDs, photodiodes, waveguides,

couplers and other photonic structures are relativelyeasy to process, up to now GaN transistor structuresare usually implemented using different epitaxial struc-tures, impeding low-cost integration.The III–nitride structure on silicon (Figure 1) included

a 250nm InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW)layer sandwiched between n- and p-type GaN, as usedin light-emitting diodes. The wafer was 2-inches indiameter. The silicon substrate was thinned to 300µmthick by grinding and polishing.The transistor was formed using the n-GaN as source

and drain, while the channel was through the undopedGaN layer. Insulation and the gate dielectric consistedof 100nm silicon dioxide (SiO2). The gate metal wasdeposited in the trenches, covering the undoped GaNchannel and the recess sidewalls. The electrodes werering-shaped to increase the width/length ratio for alarger output current. The channel length was 20µm.The radius of the recess ring center was 135µm.The fabrication began with removal of the p-GaN and

InGaN/GaN layers using inductively coupled plasmareactive-ion etch from the transistor area. The gaterecess also used a similar etch process, but at slow

Technology focus: Optoelectronic integration

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Monolithic optoelectronicintegration of gallium nitridetransistor

Figure 1. Schematic overview of proposed devices based on GaN-on-Si platform and fabrication process steps.

Researchers combine a normally-off 6V threshold GaN MOSFET device with a light-emitting diode on a silicon substrate.

speed to ensureaccurate depthwith full removal of the n-GaN andnon-removal ofundoped GaN.Despite the slowetch, the sidewallsof the recess wererough.The SiO2 was

applied usingplasma-enhancedchemical vapordeposition(PECVD) and patterned with reactive-ion etch. The transistormetals were tita-nium/aluminium,annealed toimprove thesource/drainohmic contacts. In DC testing the

minimum on-resistance of 5Ω-mwas achieved at12V gate potential.The team com-

ments: “Even though the output current is relativelylow compared with that of some published GaN-basedFETs, the proposed MOSFET can still meet the require-ments of numerous low-power applications, especiallythe micro-LED for smart display (typical driving currentfrom several µA to hundreds of µA).” The subthreshold behavior was pretty poor with

2.78V/decade swing at 1V drain bias. This must beseen in the context that the theoretical minimum is60mV/decade (0.06V/decade) at room temperature.Further, other reported GaN MOSFETs have achievedvalues as low as 218mV/decade. The researchers hopeto improve the subthreshold behavior with tetramethy-lammonium hydroxide (TMAH) or fluorine treatmentsto reduce surface roughness of the recess sidewalls.By contrast, the threshold voltage was a high 6.01V.

The peak transconductance was 3.78µS/mm with theon-resistance at 7.96Ω-m. The drain bias was 0.1V.The gate and drain leakage currents were 120nA/mm(0V drain, 12V gate) and 5µA/mm (5V drain, 0V gate),respectively. An analysis of the parasitic capacitancesuggests a cut-off frequency of the order of tens ofmegahertz. Reduced device dimensions would increaseswitching speed at the expense of drive current.The researchers also integrated the MOSFET with

an LED on the same substrate. The LED used titanium/aluminium and nickel/gold as cathode and anode elec-trodes, respectively. The MOSFET allowed control of thelight output with increased gate potential (Figure 2). ■

https://doi.org/10.1109/LED.2019.2952905Author: Mike Cooke

The research team alsodemonstrated theMOSFET’s ability to controlan InGaN LED on the sameplatform. The researchershope that such monolithicoptical electronic integratedcircuits could lead toapplications such as smartlighting, display and visiblelight communication.

The team sees advantagesto the low-cost siliconplatform as includingintegration with MEMSbatch fabrication processes.Although LEDs, photodiodes,waveguides, couplers andother photonic structures arerelatively easy to process,up to now GaN transistorstructures are usuallyimplemented using differentepi structures, impedinglow-cost integration

Technology focus: Optoelectronic integration

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Figure 2. (a) Current–voltage (IV) characteristics of individual LED and LED-MOSFET (LED and MOSFET inseries according to inset circuit diagram); (b) electroluminescence (EL) spectra of LED with different MOSFETgate voltages.