GALLIUM NITRIDE DIODES AND INTEGRATED COMPONENTS
A diode device can include an enhancement mode gallium nitride transistor having a gate, a drain and a source, wherein the gate is connected to the drain to enable the device to perform as a diode. In some embodiments, an integrated switching-diode is described that includes a substrate, a gallium nitride switching transistor on the substrate and a free wheeling diode on the substrate and coupled to the switching transistor.
1 . A diode device, comprising:
an enhancement mode gallium nitride transistor having a gate, a drain and a source, wherein the gate is connected to the drain to enable the device to perform as a diode.
2 . The diode device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a lateral power device.
3 . The diode device of claim 1 , wherein the gate is closer to the drain than to the source.
4 . The diode device of claim 3 , further comprising a field plate electrically connected to the gate.
5 . The diode device of claim 4 , wherein the field plate extends toward the source.
6 . The diode device of claim 4 , wherein the field plate is directly connected to the gate within an active area of the device.
7 . The diode device of claim 4 , wherein the field plate is isolated from the gate inside an active area of the device.
8 . The diode device of claim 1 , wherein the transistor has a reverse blocking voltage of at least 600 V.
9 . The diode device of claim 1 , wherein the transistor has a reverse blocking voltage of at least 1200 V.
10 . The diode device of claim 1 , wherein the forward voltage drop is between 0.5 and 3V.
11 . The diode device of claim 1 , wherein the internal barrier is more than 0.5 eV.
12 . An integrated switching transistor-diode device, comprising:
a substrate;
a gallium nitride switching transistor on the substrate; and
a free wheeling diode on the substrate coupled to the switching transistor.
13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the transistor is an enhancement mode transistor.
14 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the diode is a transistor including a gate, a source and a drain and the gate is connected to the drain.
15 . The device of claim 14 , wherein the gate is closer to the drain than to the source.
16 . The device of claim 15 , further comprising a field plate electrically connected to the gate.
17 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the field plate extends toward the source.
18 . The device of claim 16 , wherein within an active area of the gate-drain connected transistor, the field plate is directly electrically connected to the gate.
19 . The device of claim 16 , wherein within an active area of the gate-drain connected transistor, the field plate is isolated from the gate.
20 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the diode is a schottky diode.
21 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the diode is a metal-insulator-semiconductor diode.
22 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the diode is a p-n junction diode.
23 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the device is a lateral power device.
24 . A multi-use integrated gallium nitride device, comprising:
a first transistor and a second transistor together supplied as a five terminal device, wherein the first transistor and second transistors are gallium nitride transistors that operate in the enhancement mode; and
a field plate for the first transistor offset toward an end terminal of the first transistor, and a field plate for the second transistor offset toward an end terminal of the second transistor.
25 . An integrated switching-diode device, comprising:
an enhancement mode gallium nitride switching transistor;
a free wheeling diode coupled to the switching transistor, wherein the free wheeling diode is a transistor with a reverse blocking voltage of at least 600V and a forward voltage drop below 3V, and having a gate connected to a drain; and
a field plate electrically connected to the gate and offset towards the source.