%0 Journal Article
%T Near-surface processing on AlGaN/GaN heterostructures: a nanoscale electrical and structural characterization
%A Greco Giuseppe
%A Giannazzo Filippo
%A Frazzetto Alessia
%A Raineri Vito
%J Nanoscale Research Letters
%D 2011
%I Springer
%X The effects of near-surface processing on the properties of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures were studied, combining conventional electrical characterization on high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), with advanced characterization techniques with nanometer scale resolution, i.e., transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM). In particular, a CHF3-based plasma process in the gate region resulted in a shift of the threshold voltage in HEMT devices towards less negative values. Two-dimensional current maps acquired by C-AFM on the sample surface allowed us to monitor the local electrical modifications induced by the plasma fluorine incorporated in the material. The results are compared with a recently introduced gate control processing: the local rapid thermal oxidation process of the AlGaN layer. By this process, a controlled thin oxide layer on surface of AlGaN can be reliably introduced while the resistance of the layer below increase locally.
%U http://www.nanoscalereslett.com/content/6/1/132