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Micromachines
Special Issues
GaN-Based Materials and Devices: Research and Applications
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GaN-Based Materials and Devices: Research and Applications

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "D1: Semiconductor Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 29 April 2025 | Viewed by 4737

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Wei Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Microelectronics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
Interests: AlInGaN semiconductor materials; quantum wells/dots; optoelectronic devices; epitaxial growth; performance characterization
Dr. Kun Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Microelectronics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
Interests: semiconductor materials; semiconductor devices; solar cells; light-emitting diodes; photodetectors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wurtzite III-nitrides semiconductor materials, represented by GaN, have been widely used in high-frequency, high-power, and optoelectronic devices due to their excellent electrical and optical properties. For example, their superior electron mobility and wide bandgap make them highly promising candidates for high-frequency and high-power electronic devices. Furthermore, their direct and tunable bandgap have made them attractive for various optoelectronic applications, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), laser diodes (LDs), sensors, and photovoltaic cells. Yet the potential of GaN-based devices is still far from being fully developed. The challenges exist in many aspects, such as the poor material quality, unstable fabrication process, and thermal management. Therefore, by leveraging the intriguing properties of (Al,In)GaN compound semiconductors, researchers and engineers may develop devices with improved performance, benefiting various aspects of our daily lives.  

The Special Issue "GaN-based Materials and Devices: Research and Applications" of the Journal Micromachines aims to present recent advantages in the design, growth, fabrication, characterization, and simulation of GaN-based compound semiconductors, as well as their related electronic and optoelectronic devices. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to:

  • Epitaxial growth, fabrication, and characterization techniques for state-of-the-art AlInGaN alloys and their semiconductor heterostructures;
  • Research on the physical, chemical, electronic, and optical properties of GaN-based materials and devices for various applications;
  • Novel concepts for device structure design;
  • Advanced simulation or modeling for GaN-based electronic and optoelectronic devices.

We look forward to receiving your submissions to this Special Issue!

Dr. Wei Liu
Dr. Kun Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • group III-nitrides semiconductors
  • epitaxial growth and fabrication
  • Al(In)GaN heterostructure
  • polarization and piezoelectric effect
  • nanostructures for wide bandgap materials
  • RF and power devices
  • display and illumination applications
  • novel design concepts
  • device simulation

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

8 pages, 5092 KiB  
Article
Properties Investigation and Damage Analysis of GaN Photoconductive Semiconductor Switch Based on SiC Substrate
by Jiankai Xu, Lijuan Jiang, Ping Cai, Chun Feng, Hongling Xiao and Xiaoliang Wang
Micromachines 2024, 15(10), 1178; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15101178 - 24 Sep 2024
Viewed by 642
Abstract
The GaN photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSSs) with low leakage current and large on-state current are suitable for several applications, including fast switching and high-power electromagnetic pulse equipment. This paper demonstrates a high-power GaN lateral PCSS device. An output peak current of 142.2 A [...] Read more.
The GaN photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSSs) with low leakage current and large on-state current are suitable for several applications, including fast switching and high-power electromagnetic pulse equipment. This paper demonstrates a high-power GaN lateral PCSS device. An output peak current of 142.2 A is reached with an input voltage of 10.28 kV when the GaN lateral PCSS is intrinsically triggered. In addition, the method of retaining the AlGaN/GaN heterostructure between electrodes on PCSSs is proposed, which results in increasing the output peak current of the PCSS. The damage mechanism of the PCSS caused by a high electric field and high excitation laser energy is analyzed. The obtained results show that the high heat generated by the large current leads to the decomposition of GaN, and thus, the Ga forms a metal conductive path, resulting in the failure of the device. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GaN-Based Materials and Devices: Research and Applications)
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14 pages, 19858 KiB  
Article
Operational Characteristics of AlGaN/GaN High-Electron-Mobility Transistors with Various Dielectric Passivation Structures for High-Power and High-Frequency Operations: A Simulation Study
by Ji-Hun Kim, Chae-Yun Lim, Jae-Hun Lee, Jun-Hyeok Choi, Byoung-Gue Min, Dong Min Kang and Hyun-Seok Kim
Micromachines 2024, 15(9), 1126; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15091126 - 3 Sep 2024
Viewed by 834
Abstract
This study investigates the operational characteristics of AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) by employing various passivation materials with different dielectric constants and passivation structures. To ensure the simulation reliability, the parameters were calibrated based on the measured data from the fabricated basic Si3 [...] Read more.
This study investigates the operational characteristics of AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) by employing various passivation materials with different dielectric constants and passivation structures. To ensure the simulation reliability, the parameters were calibrated based on the measured data from the fabricated basic Si3N4 passivation structure of the HEMT. The Si3N4 passivation material was replaced with high-k materials, such as Al2O3 and HfO2, to improve the breakdown voltage. The Al2O3 and HfO2 passivation structures achieved breakdown voltage improvements of 6.62% and 17.45%, respectively, compared to the basic Si3N4 passivation structure. However, the increased parasitic capacitances reduced the cut-off frequency. To mitigate this reduction, the operational characteristics of hybrid and partial passivation structures were analyzed. Compared with the HfO2 passivation structure, the HfO2 partial passivation structure exhibited a 7.6% reduction in breakdown voltage but a substantial 82.76% increase in cut-off frequency. In addition, the HfO2 partial passivation structure exhibited the highest Johnson’s figure of merit. Consequently, considering the trade-off relationship between breakdown voltage and frequency characteristics, the HfO2 partial passivation structure emerged as a promising candidate for high-power and high-frequency AlGaN/GaN HEMT applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GaN-Based Materials and Devices: Research and Applications)
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7 pages, 2740 KiB  
Communication
A Comparative Study on the Degradation Behaviors of Ferroelectric Gate GaN HEMT with PZT and PZT/Al2O3 Gate Stacks
by Lixiang Chen, Zhiqi Lu, Chaowei Fu, Ziqiang Bi, Miaoling Que, Jiawei Sun and Yunfei Sun
Micromachines 2024, 15(1), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15010101 - 5 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1201
Abstract
In this paper, the degradation behaviors of the ferroelectric gate Gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) under positive gate bias stress are discussed. Devices with a gate dielectric that consists of pure Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) and a composite PZT/Al2O [...] Read more.
In this paper, the degradation behaviors of the ferroelectric gate Gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) under positive gate bias stress are discussed. Devices with a gate dielectric that consists of pure Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) and a composite PZT/Al2O3 bilayer are studied. Two different mechanisms, charge trapping and generation of traps, both contribute to the degradation. We have observed positive threshold voltage shift in both kinds of devices under positive gate bias stress. In the devices with a PZT gate oxide, we have found the degradation is owing to electron trapping in pre-existing oxide traps. However, the degradation is caused by electron trapping in pre-existing oxide traps and the generation of traps for the devices with a composite PZT/Al2O3 gate oxide. Owing to the large difference in dielectric constants between PZT and Al2O3, the strong electric field in the Al2O3 interlayer makes PZT/Al2O3 GaN HEMT easier to degrade. In addition, the ferroelectricity in PZT enhances the electric field in Al2O3 interlayer and leads to more severe degradation. According to this study, it is worth noting that the reliability problem of the ferroelectric gate GaN HEMT may be more severe than the conventional metal–insulator–semiconductor HEMT (MIS-HEMT). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GaN-Based Materials and Devices: Research and Applications)
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10 pages, 1996 KiB  
Article
A Simulation Study of Carrier Capture Ability of the Last InGaN Quantum Well with Different Indium Content for Yellow-Light-Emitting InGaN/GaN Multiple Quantum Wells
by Wei Liu, Zeyu Liu, Hengyan Zhao and Junjie Gao
Micromachines 2023, 14(9), 1669; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14091669 - 26 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1447
Abstract
Currently, GaN-based blue- and green-light-emitting devices have achieved successful applications in practice, while the luminescence efficiency of devices with longer wavelengths (such as yellow light) is still very low. Therefore, in this paper, the electroluminescence characterization of yellow-light-emitting InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) [...] Read more.
Currently, GaN-based blue- and green-light-emitting devices have achieved successful applications in practice, while the luminescence efficiency of devices with longer wavelengths (such as yellow light) is still very low. Therefore, in this paper, the electroluminescence characterization of yellow-light-emitting InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) with different In content in the last InGaN quantum well, which is next to the p-type GaN electrode layer, are investigated numerically to reveal a possible physical mechanism by which the different distribution of In content in the active region impacts the carrier capture and the light emission process in yellow InGaN/GaN MQWs. The simulation results show that at low injection currents, the luminescence efficiency of high-In-content yellow MQWs is enhanced, which can be ascribed to the enhanced radiative recombination process induced by the increased carrier concentration in the last InGaN quantum wells with promoted carrier capture ability. However, in the case of high injection condition, the luminescence efficiency of yellow MQWs deteriorates with increasing In content, i.e., the droop effect becomes remarkable. This can be ascribed to both significantly enhanced Auger recombination and electron leakage in the last InGaN quantum well, induced also by the promoted capture ability of charge carriers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GaN-Based Materials and Devices: Research and Applications)
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