IP Library Granted Patent US 9,780,175
Granted Patent B2
US 9,780,175 · App. 13/722,457 · Granted Oct 3, 2017

Nitride semiconductor epitaxial wafer and field effect nitride transistor

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,780,175
App. No.
13/722,457
Granted
Oct 3, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A nitride semiconductor epitaxial wafer includes a substrate, a GaN layer provided over the substrate, and an AlGaN layer provided over the GaN layer. The GaN layer has a wurtzite crystal structure, and a ratio c/a of a lattice constant c in a c-axis orientation of the GaN layer to a lattice constant a in an a-axis orientation of the GaN layer is not more than 1.6266.

Claims (21)

1. A field effect nitride transistor, comprising:

a substrate;

a GaN layer configured to be an electron transit layer provided over the substrate;

an AlGaN layer configured to be an electron feed layer provided over the GaN layer;

a source electrode and a drain electrode provided directly on the AlGaN layer, and

a gate electrode provided directly on the AlGaN layer between the source electrode and the drain electrode,

wherein the GaN layer comprises a wurtzite crystal structure, and a measured ratio c/a of the lattice constant c in a c-axis orientation of the GaN layer to a lattice constant a in the a-axis orientation of the GaN layer is not more than 1.6266 despite the application of lattice mismatch stresses at interfaces between the GaN layer and the substrate and the AlGaN layer, and

wherein the measured ratio c/a allows the occurrence of only negative charges on the surface of the GaN layer on which a two-dimensional electron gas is induced spatially due to the lattice mismatch stresses to suppress current collapse.

2. The field effect nitride transistor according to claim 1 , wherein the GaN layer directly contacts an AlN layer on one side and the AlGaN layer on the other side.

3. A field effect nitride transistor, comprising:

a substrate;

a single GaN layer configured to be an electron transit layer provided over the substrate;

an AlGaN layer configured to be an electron feed layer provided directly on the GaN layer;

a source electrode and a drain electrode provided directly on the AlGaN layer, and

a gate electrode provided directly on the AlGaN layer between the source electrode and the drain electrode,

wherein the GaN layer comprises a wurtzite crystal structure, and a measured ratio c/a of the lattice constant c in a c-axis orientation of the GaN layer to a lattice constant a in the a-axis orientation of the GaN layer is not more than 1.6266 despite the application of lattice mismatch stresses at interfaces between the GaN layer and the substrate and the AlGaN layer, and,

wherein the field effect nitride transistor includes only one GaN layer, and

wherein the measured ratio c/a of 1.6266 allows the occurrence of only negative charges on the surface of the GaN layer on which a two-dimensional electron gas is induced spatially to suppress current collapse.

4. The field effect nitride transistor according to claim 2 , wherein the AlN layer has a surface shaped to have a positive skewness Rsk to prevent current collapse.

5. The field effect nitride transistor according to claim 2 , wherein the positive skewness Rsk of the AlN layer is positive.

6. The field effect nitride transistor according to claim 2 , wherein the positive skewness Rsk of the AlN layer is not less than 0.5.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2016
From: SCIOCS COMPANY LIMITED
To: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
Reel/Frame 037695/0254 →
CORPORATE SEPARATION Recorded Jul 27, 2015
From: HITACHI METALS LTD.
To: SCIOCS COMPANY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 036192/0095 →
MERGER Recorded Feb 5, 2014
From: HITACHI CABLE, LTD.
To: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 032163/0066 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2012
From: TANAKA, TAKESHI; KANEDA, NAOKI; NARITA, YOSHINOBU
To: HITACHI CABLE, LTD.
Reel/Frame 029512/0338 →