APPLICATION GUIDE

— HIGH ELECTRON MOBILITY TRANSISTOR

Updated 2005.3
c
1995-2005 Crosslight Software Inc.
2
Contents

1 High Electron Mobility Transistor 1-5

1.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
1.2 Use of Advanced Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
1.3 More Advanced Models of HEMT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
1.4 Results of GaAs/AlGaAs HEMT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
1.5 Wurtzite Structure Material HEMT’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
1.6 Applicable Products and Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
0-4 CONTENTS
Chapter 1

High Electron Mobility Transistor

1.1 Introduction
An important class of compound semiconductor devices is the high mobility electron
field effect transistors (HEMT). These include heterojunction field effect transistors
(HJFET), pseudomorphic heterojunction FET, modulation doped Heterojunction
FET, etc.. A common feature of these devices is that a quantum confined 2D electron
gas with high mobility is used as the conducting carrier.
In this chapter, we briefly describe the application of APSYS in the simulation
of the 2D electron gas in these devices.

1.2 Use of Advanced Options

In Crosslight simulators, a layered material is treated quantum mechanically (with
confined quantum levels solved) only when it is declared as ”active quantum well”.
For many HJFETs, the confining quantum well has one Heterojunction barrier on
one side acting as a potential barrier while the other potential barrier is formed by
confining electric field. This is different from the convention quantum well with two
Heterojunction as the two confining barriers.
We take as an example of a simple GaAs/Al(0.4)Ga(06)As HEMT. In order to
simulate the confined states in the 2D electron gas, we must define it as an ”active
quantum well” much like that in an MQW laser diode. To make an active quantum
well out of the simple GaAs/AlGaAs junction, we convert GaAs/Al(0.4)Ga(0.6)As
junction into quantum well of the form Al(0.01)Ga(0.99)As/GaAs/Al(0.4)Ga(0.6)As
which has uneven barriers. A schematic of such a structure is shown in Fig. 1.1.
To treat uneven-barrier active quantum well, we must treat it as ”complex MQW”
and use the complex-MQW option with active layer macro of cx-AlGaAs.
Since one of the confining barrier is formed by strong electric field, it is important
that we solve the potential and quantum confining states self-consistently. Thus, we
need to use the self-consistent option.
1-6 High Electron Mobility Transistor

Figure 1.1: Schematics of a GaAs/AlGaAs high mobility transistor (HEMT) as

captured from LayerBuilder, Crosslight GUI of device setup.

The files of this chapter are given under directory

apsys examples/HEMT/HEMT selfcs
and
apsys examples/HEMT/HEMT wurtzite

1.3 More Advanced Models of HEMT

The examples described in this chapter is based on a single-complex quantum con-
finement model, that is, the quantum confinement is based on sampling of a potential
profile at the center of the complex active region when solving the Schroedinger equa-
tion. Since the most of the conduction activity occurs near the center region, this
model should be sufficient for basic design purposes.
For more accuracy, we may need to go beyond such basic treatment to consider
variation along the conduction channel. Asuming the potential variation along the
channel is slow, we may simply cut up the device into three or more QW complexes
by using the statement indep xmqw. Such a division technique has been used in
the Chapter on quantum MOS (Chapter ??).
We can also go on step further and use multiple segments to divide the quantum
well potential profile further in the z-direction in a full 3D simulation.
1.4 Results of GaAs/AlGaAs HEMT 1-7

2.5

Elec. Velocity (E5 m/s) 1.5

0.5

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Field (E5 V/m)

Figure 1.2: Field dependence electron velocity of undoped GaAs. The solid curve is
the ”n.gaas” mobility model while the dash curve is the ”beta” model.

1.4 Results of GaAs/AlGaAs HEMT

This section demonstrates some results from self-consistent simulation of of a GaAs/AlGaAs
HEMT (with layer structure captured in Fig. 1.1).
For GaAs based FET’s, we find that the steady state solution can be driven into
non-convergence because of the negative resistance due to the special field depen-
dence mobility as shown in Fig. 1.2 (as defined by the ”n.gaas” velocity model in
gaas macro).
In reality, the device may be driven into unstable or oscillation states (Gunn
effect) at some bias point. We rarely see such kind of negative I-V characteristics in
steady state measurements. A possible explanation is that the field/current adjusts
itself in the region of negative resistance in the form of transient redistribution and
the terminal I-V bypasses the peak of negative resistance.
Thus, to overcome the non-convergence in steady state simulation of GaAs FET’s,
we suggest using a different form of mobility model (such as the ”beta” model, as
illustrated by dash line in Fig. 1.2).
An alternative method to overcome such non-convergence is to use transient sim-
ulation while biasing the FET. This method means the simulator and the computer
hardware must work harder.
Using the ”beta” mobility model, we have been able to get results in a self-
consistent simulation of the HEMT structure. The equilibrium band diagram is
shown in Fig. 1.3.
The current flow and drain I-V curve are shown in Figs. 1.4 and 1.5 respectively.
To plot the confined quantum well states, we use the statement of more output
1-8 High Electron Mobility Transistor

File:ht2.plt
0.5

Energy (eV) 0

-0.5

-1

-1.5

-2
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
Distance (micron)

Figure 1.3: Band diagram of the GaAs/AlGaAs HEMT at equilibrium.

File:ht2.plt
0.7

0.6

0.5
y (micron)

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
-0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
x (micron)

Figure 1.4: Typical current flow in a GaAs/AlGaAs HEMT.

1.5 Wurtzite Structure Material HEMT’s 1-9

File:ht2.plt
80

70

60

total_curr_1 (A/m) 50

40

30

20

10

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
voltage_1 (volt)

Figure 1.5: Typical drain current-voltage characteristics of a GaAs/AlGaAs HEMT.

in .sol file. The confined levels and wave functions magnitudes are presented in Fig.
1.6 and the corresponding electron concentrations are in Fig. 1.7.
At Vg=-0.5 Volt and Vd=5 Volt we plot the wave functions and electron con-
centrations in Figs. 1.8 and 1.9, respectively. As expected, the conduction channel
is more depleted than at equilibrium and there are less confined levels.
The AC analysis can be performed using the ac parameters statement in .plt
file and we plot the S11 and S22 on Smith chart in Fig. 1.10.

1.5 Wurtzite Structure Material HEMT’s

The simulation procedure for GaN Wurtzite is completely similar. The points to note
is that if holes are involved in the 2D gaas, then contribution from three subbands:
HH, LH and CH are automatically included.
For GaN based material, it is common to have piezo-electric field induced surface
charge on the Heterojunction. Figs. 1.11 and 1.12 are the band diagram and cor-
responding electron distribution of of the 2D gaas in a GaN/AlGaN HEMT. Please
note that surface charge due to piezo-electric field is assumed at the Heterojunction.
Due to a larger effective mass, the number of confined states is larger than its
GaAs counterparts, as indicated in Fig. 1.13 at equilibrium.
A family of Id-Vd curves for different Vg is presented in Fig. 1.14 and the S-
parameters are plotted on Smith chart in Fig. 1.15 for the AlGaN HEMT.
1-10 High Electron Mobility Transistor

File:ht2.plt
0.3

0.25

0.2

0.15
Energy (eV)

0.1

0.05

-0.05

-0.1

-0.15

-0.2
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1
Distance (micron)

Figure 1.6: Confined energies and wave functions of the GaAs/AlGaAs HEMT at
equilibrium.

File:ht2.plt
18

17.5

17
Log (Elec_Conc/cm^3)

16.5

16

15.5

15

14.5
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1
Distance (micron)

Figure 1.7: Electron concentrations near the conduction channel of the

GaAs/AlGaAs HEMT at equilibrium.
1.5 Wurtzite Structure Material HEMT’s 1-11

File:ht2.plt
-2.3

-2.35

-2.4

-2.45
Energy (eV)

-2.5

-2.55

-2.6

-2.65

-2.7

-2.75

-2.8
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1
Distance (micron)

Figure 1.8: Confined energies and wave functions of the GaAs/AlGaAs HEMT at
Vg=-0.5 Volt.

File:ht2.plt
17.5

17

16.5
Log (Elec_Conc/cm^3)

16

15.5

15

14.5

14

13.5
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1
Distance (micron)

Figure 1.9: Electron concentrations near the conduction channel of the

GaAs/AlGaAs HEMT at Vg=-0.5 Volt.
1-12 High Electron Mobility Transistor

HF=Higher Frequency

1.0 S11
S22
0.5 2.0

0.2 5.0

0 0.2 0.5 1.0 2.0 5.0

HF
HF
0.2 5.0

0.5 2.0

1.0

Figure 1.10: S11 and S22 paramters, from 1 MHz to 1THz, for the GaAs/AlGaAs
HEMT at Vg=-0.5 Volt.
1.6 Applicable Products and Options 1-13

File:ht3.plt
1

0.5

-0.5
Energy (eV)
-1

-1.5

-2

-2.5

-3

-3.5

-4
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6
Distance (micron)

Figure 1.11: Band diagram of a GaN/AlGaN HEMT at equilibrium. Surface charge

due to piezo-electric field is assumed at the Heterojunction.

1.6 Applicable Products and Options

Simulation of HJFET’s are performed by the APSYS simulation package of Crosslight
Software. For more advanced and accurate simulation, complex-MQW and Selfcon-
sistent/Piezo options are recommended.
1-14 High Electron Mobility Transistor

File:ht3.plt
19

18.5

18
Log (Elec_Conc/cm^3)

17.5

17

16.5

16

15.5
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08
Distance (micron)

Figure 1.12: Electron density near the 2D gaas region of the GaN/AlGaN HEMT at
equilibrium.

File:ht3.plt
0.2

0.15

0.1
Energy (eV)

0.05

-0.05

-0.1
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08
Distance (micron)

Figure 1.13: Confined levels and wave functions of the GaN/AlGaN HEMT at equi-
librium.
1.6 Applicable Products and Options 1-15

File:ht3.plt
2

1.8

1.6

1.4
total_curr_1 (A/m)

1.2

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
voltage_1 (volt)

Figure 1.14: A family of Id-Vd curves at different gate voltages for the the
GaN/AlGaN HEMT.

HF=Higher Frequency

1.0 S11
S22
0.5 2.0

0.2 5.0

0 0.2 0.5 1.0 2.0 5.0

HF

HF
0.2 5.0

0.5 2.0

1.0

Figure 1.15: S-parameters plotted on Smith chart for the the GaN/AlGaN HEMT.