Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

at]Hard-switching reliability studies of 1200 V vertical GaN PiN diodes

  • Research Letter
  • Published:
MRS Communications Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We report on reliability testing of vertical GaN (v-GaN) devices under continuous switching conditions of 500, 750, and 1000 V. Using a modified double-pulse test circuit, we evaluate 1200 V-rated v-GaN PiN diodes fabricated by Avogy. Forward current-voltage characteristics do not change over the stress period. Under the reverse bias, the devices exhibit an initial rise in leakage current, followed by a slower rate of increase with further stress. The leakage recovers after a day’s relaxation which suggests that trapping of carriers in deep states is responsible. Overall, we found the devices to be robust over the range of conditions tested.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. J. Millan, P. Godignon, X. Perpina, A. Perez-Tomas, and J. Rebollo: A survey of wide bandgap power semiconductor devices. IEEE Trans. Power Electron. 29, 2155 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. J.Y. Tsao, S. Chowdhury, M.A. Hollis, D. Jena, N.M. Johnson, K.A. Jones, R.J. Kaplar, S. Rajan, C.G. Van de Walle, E. Bellotti, C.L. Chua, R. Collazo, M.E. Coltrin, J.A. Cooper, K.R. Evans, S. Graham, T.A. Grotjohn, E.R. Heller, M. Higashiwaki, M.S. Islam, P.W. Juodawlkis, M.A. Khan, A.D. Koehler, J.H. Leach, U.K. Mishra, R.J. Nemanich, R.C.N. Pilawa-Podgurski, J.B. Shealy, Z. Sitar, M.J. Tadjer, A.F. Witulski, M. Wraback, and J.A. Simmons: Ultrawide-bandgap semiconductors: research opportunities and challenges. Adv. Electron. Mater. 4, 1600501 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. J.L. Hudgins, G.S. Simin, E. Santi, and M.A. Khan: An assessment of wide bandgap semiconductors for power devices. IEEE Trans. Power Electron. 18, 907 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. B.J. Baliga: Fundamentals of Power Semiconductor Devices (Springer Sciences, New York, 2008).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  5. J.R. Dickerson, A.A. Allerman, B.N. Bryant, A.J. Fischer, M.P. King, M.W. Moseley, A.M. Armstrong, R.J. Kaplar, I.C. Kizilyalli, O. Aktas, and J.J. Wierer: Vertical GaN power diodes with a bilayer edge termination. IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 63, 419 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. E.A. Jones, F.F. Wang, and D. Costinett: Review of commercial GaN power devices and GaN-based converter design challenges. IEEE J. Emerging Sel. Topics Power Electron. 4, 707 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. I.C. Kizilyalli, A.P. Edwards, H. Nie, D. Disney, and D. Bour: High voltage vertical GaN p-n diodes with avalanche capability. IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 60, 3067 (2013)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. I.C. Kizilyalli, A.P. Edwards, H. Nie, D. Bour, T. Prunty, and D. Disney: 3.7 kV vertical GaN PN diodes. IEEE Electron Device Lett. 35, 247 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. H. Nie, Q. Diduck, B. Alvarez, A.P. Edwards, B.M. Kayes, M. Zhang, G. Ye, T. Prunty, D. Bour, and I.C. Kizilyalli: 1.5-kV and 2.2-m(ohm)-cm2 vertical GaN transistors on bulk-GaN substrates. IEEE Electron Device Lett. 35, 939 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. H. Ohta, N. Kaneda, F. Horikiri, Y. Narita, T. Yoshida, T. Mishima, and T. Nakamura: Vertical GaN p-n junction diodes with high breakdown voltages over 4 kV. IEEE Electron Device Lett. 36, 1180 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Z. Hu, K. Nomoto, B. Song, M. Zhu, M. Qi, M. Pan, X. Gao, V. Protasenko, D. Jena, and H.G. Xing: Near unity ideality factor and Shockley-read-hall lifetime in GaN-on-GaN p-n diodes with avalanche breakdown. Appl. Phys. Lett. 107, 243501 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. J.A. del Alamo and J. Joh: GaN HEMT reliability. Microelectron. Reliab. 49, 1200 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. M.P. King, J.R. Dickerson, S. DasGupta, M.J. Marinella, R.J. Kaplar, D. Piedra, M. Sun, and T. Palacios: Trapping characteristics and parametric shifts in lateral GaN HEMTs with SiO2/AlGaN gate stacks, in Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS), 2015 IEEE Proceedings, Monterey, CA, USA, 2015, Start Page: IEEE. doi: 10.1109/IRPS.2015.7112689.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Y. Wu, C.Y. Chen, and J.A. del Alamo: Electrical and structural degradation of GaN high electron mobility transistors under high-power and high-temperature direct current stress. J. Appl. Phys. 117, 025707 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. S.R. Bahl, J. Kim, L. Fu, A. Sasikumar, T. Chatterjee, and S. Pendrakhar: Application reliability validation of GaN power devices, presented at the Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), 2016 IEEE International, San Francisco, CA, USA, 2016, doi: 10.1109/IEDM.2016.7838461.

    Google Scholar 

  16. I.C. Kizilyalli, P. Bui-Quang, D. Disney, H. Bhatia, and O. Aktas: Reliability studies of vertical GaN devices based on bulk GaN substrates. Microelectron. Reliab. 55, 1654 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. O. Slobodyan, S. Sandoval, J. Flicker, R.J. Kaplar, C. Matthews, M. van Heukelom, and S. Atcitty: Switching reliability characterization of vertical GaN PiN diodes, presented at the Electrical Energy Storage Applications and Technology, 2017, San Diego, CA, USA, 2017.

  18. I.C. Kizilyalli, A.P. Edwards, O. Aktas, T. Prunty, and D. Bour: Vertical power p-n diodes based on bulk GaN. IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 62, 414 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. C. Matthews, J. Flicker, R.J. Kaplar, M. van Heukelom, S. Atcitty, I.C. Kizilyalli, and O. Aktas: Switching characterization of vertical GaN PiN diodes, presented at the Wide Bandgap Power Devices and Applications (WiPDA), 2016 IEEE 4th Workshop, Fayetteville, AR, USA, 2016, doi: 10.1109/WiPDA.2016.7799924.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank I. Kizilyalli and O. Aktas, both formerly of Avogy Inc., for providing the diodes studied in this work. The characterization work at Sandia was supported by the Energy Storage Program managed by Dr. Imre Gyuk of the DOE Office of Electricity, and the fabrication work at Avogy was supported by the SWITCHES program managed by Dr. Tim Heidel of ARPA-E. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-mission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia (NTESS) LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525. The opinions expressed in this paper are solely those of the authors and do not represent the views or recommendations of NTESS.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87185, USA

    O. Slobodyan, T. Smith, J. Flicker, S. Sandoval, C. Matthews, M. van Heukelom, R. Kaplar & S. Atcitty

  2. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA

    S. Sandoval & C. Matthews

Authors
  1. O. Slobodyan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T. Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. Flicker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S. Sandoval
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. C. Matthews
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. M. van Heukelom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. R. Kaplar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. S. Atcitty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Kaplar.

Supplementary material

Supplementary material

The supplementary material for this article can be found at https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2018.204.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Slobodyan, O., Smith, T., Flicker, J. et al. at]Hard-switching reliability studies of 1200 V vertical GaN PiN diodes. MRS Communications 8, 1413–1417 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2018.204

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2018.204

Search

Navigation