Protruded Field Plate in Nitride Semiconductors for Higher Gain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor devices with direct bandgap materials, such as group III-V compounds, face challenges in optimizing performance under varying conditions due to limitations in bandgap engineering and field plate design, which affect capacitance and gain characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device is designed with a substrate, a first nitride semiconductor layer having a first bandgap, and a second nitride semiconductor layer with a larger bandgap, featuring a gate contact and a field plate with a protruded portion to reduce gate-to-drain capacitance and enhance gain by adjusting the two-dimensional electron gas density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional field plate design is used, then the device structure is simple, but the gate-to-drain capacitance is high and gain is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The field plate is segmented into multiple parts: a first field plate portion extending from the gate contact, a second field plate portion, and a protruded portion connecting them. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for specific functions - the first portion for field control, the protruded portion for capacitance reduction, and the second portion for drain region control, thereby improving gain while maintaining manageable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The field plate is extended in the vertical dimension with a protruded portion that protrudes from the first field plate portion toward the second field plate portion. This three-dimensional configuration allows the field plate to control the electric field in multiple regions simultaneously, reducing gate-to-drain capacitance through increased separation distance while maintaining effective field control for improved gain.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design effectively reduces gate-to-drain capacitance and improves the gain of the semiconductor device by strategically placing the protruded field plate portion, enhancing its operational performance across different conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a first nitride semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and having a first bandgap, and a second nitride semiconductor layer disposed on the first nitride semiconductor layer and having a second bandgap. The second bandgap is larger than the first bandgap.
Implementation Method 2
adjusting the two-dimensional electron gas density to reduce gate-to-drain capacitance and enhance gain
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of this application disclose a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first nitride semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and having a first bandgap, and a second nitride semiconductor layer disposed on the first nitride semiconductor layer and having a second bandgap. The second bandgap is larger than the first bandgap. The semiconductor device further includes a gate contact disposed over the second nitride semiconductor layer and a first field plate disposed over the gate contact. The first field plate has a first surface facing the substrate, a second surface facing the substrate, and a protruded portion. The protruded portion has a bottom surface facing the substrate. The bottom surface is located between the first surface and the second surface.