The Study Of GaN (gallium nitride) high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) And

It’s Application

Rishabh Kumar Soni, T19125

Independent Study
SCEE, Indian Institute Of Technology Mandi
Project Guide: Dr. Ankush Bag

Abstract- In this report, the author would presents
the literature survey of the GaN (gallium nitride) high-
electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) and some other wide-
band gap semiconductor materials and their applications,
reliability, and properties. This paper will also describe
how the wide-band gap semiconductor material will be
helpful in the high current, high power and high frequency
power electronics devices. The author would also discuss
the growth of these wide-band gap semiconductor material
in the power electronics devices for better reliability and
efficient performance.
I. INTRODUCTION
The high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT), also known
as hetero structure field effect transistor (HFET) is a field
effect transistor incorporates a junction between two ma-
terials with unequal band gaps (i.e. a hetero junction). A
commonly used material combination is GaN and SiC, rather
there is wide variation dependent on the application of the
device. In recent years, gallium nitride high-electron-mobility
transistors (HEMTs) have gained the attention due to their
high power performance. Like other field effect transistors
(FETs), HEMTs are also used in integrated circuits as digital
on/off switches. FETs can also be used as amplifiers for large
amounts of current using a small voltage as a control signal.
Both of these uses are made possible by the FET’s unique
current–voltage characteristics. HEMT transistors are able to
operate at higher frequencies than ordinary transistors, up to
millimeter wave frequencies, and are used in high-frequency
products such as cell phones, satellite television receivers,
voltage converters, and radar equipment. They are widely
used in satellite receivers, in low power amplifiers and in the
defense industry.
TABLE I:Bandgap comparison of semiconductors
Material Chemical Band
symbol gap (eV)
Germanium Ge 0.7
Silicon Si 1.1
Diamond C 5.5
Silicon SiC 3.3
Carbide
Gallium GaN 3.4
Nitride
Gallium nitride (GaN) is a direct-band gap semiconductor
(SC) commonly used in light-emitting diodes. Its wide band
gap of 3.4 eV as shown in the table.1 affords its special
properties to the applications in opto-electronic, high-power
and high-frequency devices.
GaN is less sensitive to ionizing radiation (like other group
III nitrides), makes it suitable material for solar cell array for
satellite. Military and space applications has also benefit of it
as devices have shown stability in radiating environment.
Because GaN transistor can work at much higher tempera-
ture and voltage than the gallium arsenide (GaAs) transistors,
so it will make ideal power amplifiers at microwave frequency.
II. FEATURES OF G A N HEMT
GaN (gallium nitride) has some attractive properties that is
the reason, the electronic design engineer’s are having interest
in the devices using GaN (gallium nitride). The properties of
the GaN are discussed below:
A. Wide-Band Gap
The classification of a material as being wide-band gap,
indicates the energy required for an electron to jump from
the top of the valence band to the bottom of the conduction
band within the SC. The material which requires energy
typically larger than one or two eV are referred as wide-
band gap materials. SiC and GaN SCs are commonly referred
as compound SCs because they have composed of multiple
elements from the periodic table.
Fig. 1. Example Of WBG Devices
 Wide-band gap semiconductors (known as WBG semicon-
ductors) are SC materials which have a relatively larger band
gap compared to conventional SC materials. Conventional
semiconductor like silicon (Si) has bandgap in the range of
1 - 1.5 electronvolt (eV), whereas wide-bandgap materials
have bandgaps in the range of 2 - 4 eV. Generally, wide-band
gap semiconductors have electronic properties which fall in
between those of conventional semiconductors and insulators.
Wide-band gap semiconductor permits the devices to op-
erate at higher voltage, frequency and temperature than the
conventional semiconductor materials like silicon (Si) and
gallium arsenide (GaAs). They are the key component used
to make LEDs and lasers, and are also used in certain radio
frequency applications. Their intrinsic properties make them
affordable for a wide range of other applications, and they are
the leading contenders for next generation devices.
Fig. 2. E-K Diagram For Direct Band-Gap Material
wide-band gap makes the wide-band gap material attractive
for military applications, where they have seen a fair amount of
use. The high temperature tolerance capability also means that
these devices can be operated at much higher power levels in
normal conditions. Additionally, most wide-band gap materials
also has a higher critical electrical field density, on the order of
10 times that of conventional SC. So, these properties allow
them to operate at much higher voltage and current, which
makes them highly beneficial in military, radio and energy
conversion setting. The department of energy believes that they
will be a foundational technology in power electronics field
and alternative energy devices, as well as the robust and more
efficient power components used in high energy vehicle from
electric trains to electric car/motor-cycle. Most wide-band gap
materials also having high free-electron velocity, which allows
them to work at higher switching speed, which add to their
value in radio applications. A single wide-band gap device
can be used to make a complete radio system, eliminating
the need for separate signal and radio frequency components,
while operating at higher frequency and power level.
Research of wide-band gap materials lag behind that of
conventional SC, which have received much investment since
1970s. However, their inherent advantage in many application,
combined with some unique properties not found in conven-
tional SC, has lead to increasing interest to the use in everyday
electronic devices and replace Si based devices. Their ability
of handling higher energy density is attractive for attempts to
continue obeying Moore’s law. Wide-band gap materials are
listed below:
• Silicon carbite (SiC)
• Gallium nitride (GaN)
• Diamond (C)
PROPERTIES OF WBG (Wide-Band Gap) Materials
Optical Property :
The minimum photon energy, needed to excite electrons
(e− ) into the conduction band from the valence band is
associated with the band gap of a material. When electron hole
pair undergoes recombination process, photons are generated
with energy that corresponds to the magnitude of the band gap
of the material.
Break-down Field :
Wide-band gap (WBG) semiconductors are associated with
higher break-down voltage in comparison to the conventional
SC’s. Because a larger electric field required here to generate
a carrier through impact mechanism.
Saturation Velocity :
High effective mass of the charge carriers in SC material
are a result of the low bad curvature, which correspond to the
device with wide-band gap SC is due to the high carriers drift
velocity.
Fig. 3. Application of SiC and GaN power switches
APPLICATIONS OF WBG:
Opto-electronics :
wide-band gap (WBG) materials have been the only choice
for effective green and blue light emitting diode and Lasers.
Opto-electronics devices emits the light have their resistance
affected by light or produce current and voltage corresponding Material Prop- Si GaN
to the light intensity. LED converts 90 percent of their energy erty
to the light and 10 percent energy to the heat. Band Gap (eV) 1.1 3.4
Radio Frequency Applications : Critical Field 0.3 3.5
GaN enable the advance performance high-electron- (106 V /cm)
mobility transistors and monolithic microwave integrated cir- Electron Mobil- 1450 2000
cuits (MMICs) for high performance. The MMIC is an in- ity (cm2 /V sec)
tegrated circuit that can be operated at microwave frequency Electron Velocity 10 25
(300 MHz to 300 GHz). Saturation
Power Electronics : (106 cm/sec)
Wide-band gap (WBG) semiconductors are debuted in 1992
with the demonstration of the 1st , 400 volts Silicon carbite IV. POWER ELECTRONICS DEVICES
(SiC) schottky diode. Since then the wide-band gap electronic
It is an impossible task to list all the application of power
devices has expanded to include 1200v silicon carbite (SiC)
electronics, it has covered almost all the fields where the
schottky diodes as well as rectifier, JFETs, MOSFETs, and
electrical energy has the important role. This trend has an
BJTs.
ever increasing scope in future especially with present trends
High-power application:
of new electronic devices and integrated designs of power SC
The high-power breakdown voltage of the wide-band gap devices and controllers. The ease in the manufacturing process
semiconductors is useful property in high power applications has also led to make these devices available in a vast range of
that require large electric field. The gallium nitride (GaN) and rating and gradually appeared with high-voltage ratings and
silicon carbide (SiC) are robust materials which can be used extra high-voltage systems also. That day is not far when all
for such applications. Due to their robustness ,it is easy to of the electrical energy in the world will pass through power
fabrication of the devices. The silicon carbide (SiC) are used electronics system.
widely it will create simpler and higher efficiency charging for
hybrid and all electric vehicles reduced energy lost and longer
lifetime of solar devices.

B. Direct-Band Gap
Direct-band gap SCs are best option for applications in-
volves the emission of photons through the recombination
process of electrons and holes pair. This means that direct-
band gap SCs are the best option for lasers and LEDs
aplication.
Also, if you need to absorb photons and wants to do it
in very thin piece of SC, then direct-band gap SCs are best.
Solar cells have successively higher band gap SCs as you go
more inside the wafer so that they can absorb both low energy
photons and high energy photons effectively.
Another advantage of the direct-band gap has less to do with
the band gap. Direct band gap semiconductors tends to have
lower effective mass (m∗ ) of electrons (e− ) than comparable
(same band gap) indirect-band gap SCs. That means electrons
(e− ) travel faster for e.g. in GaAs than they do in Si.
Fig. 4. Application Of Power Devices

III. LIMITS OF THE CONVENTIONAL POWER

DEVICES
Along with the approach to the new materials for power
electronic devices for high switching-frequency operation, it’s
important to define the limits of silicon (Si) power devices
for high speed operations. Some of the electrical properties
comparison is shown in Table.II, which defines some of the
limit of the conventional SC material Si over the GaN:
TABLE II:Materials Properties Comparison
A. Application Of Power Devices (PD)
• In Daily Life: If we look in our surrounding, we would
find a lot of power electronics applications e.g. fan regu-
lator, air-conditioning (AC), emergency lights, personal
computers (PCs), vacuum cleaner, UPS (uninterrupted
power system), battery chargers etc.
• Automobiles and Traction: Subways, electric vehicles,
fork-lifts, and more. A car nowadays itself has so many
parts where power electronics is used such as ignition
 switch, wiper control, front lighting, interior lights con-
trol, electric steering and many more. Besides power elec-
tronics are extensively used in modern traction-systems
and in the ships.
• In Industries: Almost all motors used in the industries
are controlled by power electronic-drives for e.g. Rolling
mill, textile mill, cement mill, compressor, pump and
fans, blowers, elevators etc. Other applications including
welding, cranes, emergency power systems, construction
electrical machinery, excavators and many more.
• In Defense And Aerospace Field: Power supply for air-
crafts, satellite, space shuttle, advance control in missiles,
remote control for aircraft etc.
• Renewable Energy systems: Generation system such as
solar, wind, hydro, thermal etc. needs power conditioning
systems, storage and conversion systems to get usable
energy.
Above discussed application has broad coverage in the all
the fields and shown as very important part of our life that’s
why we are trying to reduce the cost of the power devices,
increase the reliability of the power devices.
V. CONCLUSIONS
• SiC (silicon carbide) and GaN (gallium nitride) are better
option for efficient power electronics devices.
• there are some issues to completely expand the potential
of SiC and GaN compounds in power devices.
• For these WBG compound semiconductors the main
concern is availability of the material because silicon is
more available then other WBG materials.
• The power electronics devices requires high voltage rat-
ing, high current and power rating these are the reason
behind the widely adoption of the WBG semiconductors.
VI. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I would like to thank DR. Ankush Bag for providing me
this topic for my independent study project and to help me
build the interest towards this project.
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