High performance TiN gate contact on AlGaN/GaN transistor using a mechanically strain induced P-doping

High performance titanium nitride sub-100 nm rectifying contact, deposited by sputtering on AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors, shows a reverse leakage current as low as 38 pA/mm at V_GS = −40 V and a Schottky barrier height of 0.95 eV. Based on structural characterization and 3D simulations, it is found that the polarization gradient induced by the gate metallization forms a P-type pseudo-doping region under the gate between the tensile surface and the compressively strained bulk AlGaN barrier layer. The strain induced by the gate metallization can compensate for the piezoelectric component. As a result, the gate contact can operate at temperatures as high as 700 °C and can withstand a large reverse bias of up to −100 V, which is interesting for high-performance transistors dedicated to power applications.