Category: Device Modeling and Simulation

Advanced AlGaN/GaN Resonant Tunneling Diode on Silicon Substrate for Negligible

Scattering and Polarization effects
Subhra Chowdhury1, Anirban Santara2, Partha Mukhopadhyay 1,3, and Dhrubes Biswas1,2,3
Advanced Technology Development Center, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal, India,
Kharagpur-72130
2
Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal,
India, Kharagpur-721302
3
Rajendra Mishra School of Engineering Entrepreneurship, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal,
India, Kharagpur-721302
E-mail: subhrachowdhury1987@gmail.com
1

Abstract In this work we have proposed an advanced

AlGaN/GaN resonant tunneling diode (RTD) structure on silicon
substrate which introduces modulation doped emitter collector
regions and graded spacer layers. An analytical model has been
presented to predict the variation of transmission coefficient (Tc)
with
different
scattering
phenomena.
The
physical
interpretations of this structure define negligible scattering
effects and polarization induced field. Simulated results show an
improved current voltage (I-V) characteristics as well as high
peak to valley current ratio (PVCR).
Index TermsAlGaN/GaN,
Scattering, Polarization.

Resonant

tunneling

diode,

I. INTRODUCTION
Recently, III-nitrides have gained interest for RTDs. Wide
band gap, large conduction band discontinuity (~2.1 eV in
AlN/GaN) [1], high carrier mobility and thermal stability
promise high power high frequency room temperature (RT)
operation. To make it applicable for high speed switching
application scattering phenomena and polarization induced
field should be reduced. The main scattering phenomena
which affect the behavior of III-V semiconductor like GaN
and AlGaN are i. Ionized impurity scattering, ii. Deformation
potential scattering, iii. Polar optical scattering. First one is
dominant at low temperature whereas, last one is dominant at
high temperature. Piezoelectric polarization charge occurs due
to the strain at the AlxGa1-xN-GaN interface which degrades
the performance of RTD by providing asymmetric current
voltage characteristics [2, 3]. High aluminum content (x
0.70) leads barrier designs leading to large lattice-mismatch at
the hetero-interface [4-8] resulting piezoelectric polarization
charge at the interface. In order to improve material quality
and to get reliable, reproducible NDR as well as symmetric IV characteristics low aluminum content (20%) is employed.
However, in this paper considering low aluminum content
(x=0.20) in AlxGa1-xN barrier transmission coefficient and
current voltage characteristics are examined. Our proposed
structure reduces the scattering effect as well as polarization
induced field. This model uses transmission matrix method to
study the variation of transmission coefficient and I-V
characteristics of this unique AlGaN/GaN RTD structure on
silicon substrate which provides negligible scattering and
polarization effects. !!

II.

DEVICE STRUCTURE

A unique structure of III-nitride based RTD has been

proposed for negligible scattering and minimum polarization
charge in the resonant tunneling heterostructure. The structure
is shown in Fig. 1. It contains two heavily doped n-type
region which is known as emitter and collector respectively.
Doping concentration for emitter and collector region is taken
as 1019 cm-3. Active region consists of 2 nm AlGaN barrier/ 2
nm GaN well/ 2 nm AlGaN barrier. This active region is
surrounded by graded AlxGa1-xN spacer layer. Composition of
Al in this spacer layer near the heavily doped AlN layer is
100% which decreases linearly and becomes 0% near the
barrier. Insulator is used to seal the two ends of the 2DEG as
shown in Fig. 1. Due to the utilization of these silica cap
insulator current flows through the structure as shown by the
arrow if an external electric field is applied. Silicon is
considered as the substrate. The dominant scattering effects in
RTD have been avoided by employing modulation doping. By
keeping the active region of the RTD almost isolated from the
heavily doped emitter and collector region by the graded

FIG. 1. Top view of the device structure

V. K. Jain and A. Verma (eds.), Physics of Semiconductor Devices, Environmental Science and Engineering,
DOI: 10 1007/978-3-319-03002-9_72
Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014

285

286

Subhra Chowdhury et al.

(z ) + V (z ) (z ) = E (z )
2m d z 2
2 d 2

(1)

To describe the transfer matrix method the simple scenario in

Fig. 4 will be considered first. In region 1 the wave function is
termed 1 and the potential is zero, in region 2 the wave
function is termed 2 and the potential is V0 and in region 3
the wave function is termed 3 and the potential is again zero.
The solution to the Hamiltonian Eigen value equation (1) in
these three regions are
1 = e i k1 z + e i k1 z
2

= C ei k 2 z

3 = F

FIG. 2. Conduction band energy profile of the proposed structure

spacer layer in our proposed structure different scattering

phenomena like ionized impurity scattering, deformation
potential scattering (due to longitudinal acoustic phonons),
piezoelectric field scattering (due to transverse acoustic
phonons) and polar optical scattering (due to longitudinal
optical phonons) can be drastically reduced. Ionized impurity
scattering is due to the electric field created by the ionized
donor atoms and polar optical scattering is due to the electric
field created in a direction, anti-parallel to the direction of
flow of carriers. So both of these events seem to affect the
drift current alone, which flows in the bulk of emitter and the
collector. Ionized impurity scattering seems to be minimized
by using modulation doping in the emitter-collector regions.
The main aim of degenerate doping in emitter and collector is
having the Fermi level higher than the conduction band edge.
So we can achieve our goal and can manage to keep ionized
impurity scattering due to ionized donors in the emitter away.
Modulation doping also keeps the electrons confined in a
narrow region till they leave the structure, through the ohmic
contacts, and hence the current remains streamlined. The polar
optical scattering has little effect in thin semiconductors [9].
The emitter and collector currents remain confined in a very
thin regions of the semiconductors (2DEG). So the polar
optical scattering is also reduced. Fig. 2 depicts the
conduction band profile of this structure which clearly
indicates the formation of 2DEG in both side of the active
region that also improve the I-V characteristics. Reliable,
reproducible NDR with symmetric I-V characteristics are
expected to be achieved by the incorporation of AlxGa1-xN
barrier with Al composition of 20% which improves the
material quality and reduces the polarization induced field.
III.

THEORY

Time-independent Hamiltonian Eigen equation is written as

[10]

ei k 3 z

(2)

D e i k 2 z

(3)

+ G e i k 3 z

(4)

The wave function (2) and its derivative is required to be

continuous at the discontinuity between adjacent regions, i.e.
z=0 and z=a. Using the continuity conditions between region 1
and region 2 yields the two equations

()

()

1 0 = 2 0

and

d 1

|
dz z = 0

(5)

d 2

|
dz z = 0

(6)

which gives the following restrictions on the coefficients

A+ B =C + D
i k1 A i k1 B = i k 2 C i k 2 D

(7)
(8)

These conditions can be written in matrix form

C
1 1 A 1 1
.
. =

i k1 i k1 B i k 2 i k 2 D

(9)

(9) can be written as

C
A
= M 12
B
D

(10)

M12 is known as discontinuity matrix, it describes the

propagation of the wave function across boundary. Using the
transfer matrix technique (TMT) the final equation for a
double barrier single well RTD can be formulated as

K
A
= M 12 M B M 23 M W M 34 M B M 45
B
L

or

K
A
= M s
L
B

(11)

(12)

where, (A,B) and (K,L) are coefficients of matrices for wave

function profile of contact layers. Ms is known as system
matrix.
(10) can be written as

Advanced AlGaN/GaN Resonant Tunneling Diode on Silicon

A M 11 M 12 K

=
B M 21M 22 L

(13)

Transmission coefficient can be formulated as the ratio

between the flux incident from left side in the barrier and the
transmitted flux in the right side, when no incident wave from
the left.
TC

() =

f tran
f int

K2
A2

1
M 11

287

and sealing of the two ends of the 2DEG. Creation of

polarization charge at the interface of AlGaN-GaN degrades
the performance of RTD. Piezoelectric polarization occurs due
to the strain at the AlGaN-GaN interface. To reduce this

(14)

This is non-scattering scheme. The impurity and opticalphonon scattering can also be included in TC(E) calculation.
Optical phonon scattering probability is written as [11]
P P 0( E )

e2

m op 1
1 E + E op
ln
2 E 0 E E op

(15a)

Nq
,

N q +1
Nq

1
exp( op KT ) 1

(15b)

FIG. 3. Simulated structure of AlGaN/GaN RTD

where, op is the polar phonon frequency.

The probability for ionized impurity scattering can be written
as [11]

PI (E)

23 / 2 N I e4 m1 / 2 1 / 2
E
2
2 02
+

1
4mE
2

(1 cos m )
(16)

8mE
2
+

2
IV. RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS
Using ATLAS simulator we have simulated the AlGaN/GaN
resonant tunneling diode. GAN RTD Simulation Parameters:
The non-equilibrium Greens function model takes the
quantum simulator which in tagged with the SchrodingerPoisson solver. INTERFACE statement is used to insert the
interface charges due to polarization. Conduction band
alignment ratio is set to 0.8. The model used is n.negf_pl1d (n
type, 1 dimensional, non-equilibrium Greens function). The
solution method is Schrodinger-Poisson. The simulated
structure is shown in Fig. 3. Using equation (1) to (14) and Fig.
4 transmission coefficient can be calculated which does not
include scattering phenomena. In the calculation of Tc effects
of scattering such as optical phonon scattering and ionized
impurity scattering can be included. A carrier generated from
the emitter with a kinetic energy (Ex, Ey) in the xy plane starts
to tunnel through the barrier to the well where scattering event
may occur depending on the scattering probability as written in
(15) and (16). In our proposed structure, as explained section
II, these scattering will be reduced due to the graded spacer

FIG. 4. Tunneling through a single barrier

FIG. 5. Electron energy versus Transmission probability of

electron.

288

Subhra Chowdhury et al.

FIG 6. Current-voltage characteristic of AlGaN/GaN RTD simulated by ATLAS

piezoelectric polarization induced charge lower Al

composition is employed in the barrier which improves the
current-voltage characteristics as shown in Fig. 6. I-V
characteristics is found from SILVACO simulation which
provides higher peak to valley current ratio (PVCR). Obtained
peak voltage is at 2.04 volt. The value of Ipeak and Ivalley are at
7.95 x 10-5 amp and 1.58 x 10-6 amp respectively which
clearly gives a high peak to valley current ratio; PVCR=48.
V. CONCLUSIONS
Optimized structure of this unique AlGaN/GaN resonant
tunneling diode structure on silicon substrate improves the
negative differential resistance (NDR) as well as current
voltage characteristics. From analytical modelling and
simulative view point it can be concluded that the formation
of 2DEGs adjacent to the barriers provide negligible
scattering effects in the active region of RTD resulting
improved PVCR. Also the selection of Al composition in
barrier as 20% provides a drastic reduction of polarization
effects.
VI. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors of IIT Kharagpur would like to acknowledge
ENS Project, Department of Electronics and Information
Technology (DeitY) Government of India for the project
funding.

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