Ultra-Wide Bandgap beta-Ga(2)O(3)Heterojunction Field-Effect Transistor Using p-Type 4H-SiC Gate for Efficient Thermal Management

Abstract

The low thermal conductivity and the absence of effective acceptors limit the potential utility of beta-Ga(2)O(3)electronics. Herein, to generate an n-channel beta-Ga(2)O(3)heterojunction field-effect transistor (FET) with efficient thermal management, n-type beta-Ga(2)O(3)as a channel layer was integrated with p-type 4H-SiC as both a gate and a thermal drain via van der Waals interaction. The n-p beta-Ga2O3/4H-SiC heterojunction displayed typical rectifying behavior with an ideality factor of 1.4 and a rectification ratio of similar to 10(7). The fabricated beta-Ga(2)O(3)heterojunction FET operated in depletion mode with current saturation above the pinch-off voltage, which is consistent with the results of numerical device simulation. Excellent output and transfer characteristics were observed, including no hysteresis, low subthreshold swing (similar to 114 mV dec(-1)), and a high output current on/off ratio (similar to 10(8)). The numerical heat simulation indicated that the integration of beta-Ga(2)O(3)with 4H-SiC could greatly lower the peak operating temperature (by >70 degrees C), thereby improving the long-term reliability and stability of the beta-Ga2O3-based electronic devices.