HEMT Field Plate Layout for Breakdown Voltage Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) devices face challenges in enhancing electrical performance, particularly in increasing breakdown voltage and improving reliability under multiple switching operations.
Innovation Solution
The HEMT device incorporates a substrate structure with a channel layer, barrier layer, gate electrode, drain electrode, source field plates, and a dielectric structure, where the second source field plate is located between the drain electrode and the first source field plate, with a gap between their top-view patterns, and the dielectric structure thickness varies beneath each source field plate, allowing for increased breakdown voltage and concentrated turn-on resistance dispersion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the dielectric thickness is increased uniformly across the entire structure, then the breakdown voltage increases, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the dielectric thickness at different locations within the device structure. Specifically, the dielectric thickness is greater at the region directly below the second source field plate compared to other regions. This localized thickness variation allows the breakdown voltage to be increased at critical areas without uniformly increasing the entire dielectric structure, thereby avoiding excessive device complexity and manufacturing difficulty while achieving the desired reliability improvement.
2Reliability
If the source field plates are made larger to improve electrical connectivity, then the turn-on resistance decreases, but the device area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the source field plate structure at specific locations rather than uniformly distributing it. The second source field plate is positioned at a location where it provides maximum electrical connectivity benefit, and the dielectric thickness is optimized locally at this position. This allows improved electrical connectivity to be achieved with minimal increase in overall device area, as the field plates are strategically placed rather than expanded across the entire device surface.
Data Source
AI summary
A HEMT device including a substrate structure, a channel layer, a barrier layer, a gate electrode, a drain electrode, a first source field plate, a second source field plate, and a dielectric structure is provided. The first source field plate extends from the second side of the gate electrode to the first side of the gate electrode. The second source field plate is located on the first side of the gate electrode and is located between the drain electrode and the first source field plate. There is a gap between the first source field plate and the second source field plate. The first source field plate has an end adjacent to the gap. The thickness of the dielectric structure located directly below the second source field plate is greater than the thickness of the dielectric structure located directly below the end of the first source field plate.