Above and below threshold terahertz plasmon

modes in AlGaN/GaN grating-gate HEMTs

P. Sai
Center for Terahertz Research and
Applications (CENTERA)
Institute of High Pressure Physics PAS
Warsaw, Poland;
V.Ye. Lashkaryov Institute of
Semiconductor Physics NASU
Kyiv, Ukraine
ORCID: 0000-0002-6143-9469
M. Dub
Center for Terahertz Research and
Applications (CENTERA)
Institute of High Pressure Physics PAS
Warsaw, Poland;
V.Ye. Lashkaryov Institute of
Semiconductor Physics NASU
Kyiv, Ukraine
ORCID: 0000-0002-6898-4638
D. B. But
Center for Terahertz Research and
Applications (CENTERA)
Institute of High Pressure Physics PAS
Warsaw, Poland;
V.Ye. Lashkaryov Institute of
Semiconductor Physics NASU
Kyiv, Ukraine
ORCID: 0000-0002-0735-4608

M. Sakowicz M. Słowikowski M. Filipiak

Institute of High Pressure Physics PAS CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of
Warsaw, Poland Technology Technology
ORCID: 0000-0002-7407-6492 Warsaw, Poland Warsaw, Poland
ORCID: 0000-0001-7265-3199

G. Cywinski S. Rumyantsev W. Knap

Center for Terahertz Research and
Applications (CENTERA),
Institute of High Pressure Physics PAS;
Warsaw, Poland
ORCID: 0000-0003-3616-8756
Center for Terahertz Research and
Applications (CENTERA),
Institute of High Pressure Physics PAS;
Warsaw, Poland
ORCID: 0000-0002-8308-4187
Center for Terahertz Research and
Applications (CENTERA),
Institute of High Pressure Physics PAS;
Warsaw, Poland
ORCID: 0000-0003-4537-8712

Abstract— In this work, we studied the gate voltage

dependence of THz transmission spectra of AlGaN/GaN
grating-gate structures consisting of two-dimensional electron
gas (2DEG) covered by high active area (2x2 mm2) metal surface
grating. Resonance absorption minima revealed in the
measured THz spectra were related to 2D plasma resonances
existing in the grating plasmonic structures. The high quality of
the grating-gate electrode allows us to investigate the plasmon
modes in the wide range of the applied gate voltages: above and
far below the threshold voltage.

Keywords—THz plasmon resonance, AlGaN/GaN, grating-

gate structures, HEMT
I. INTRODUCTION
AlGaN/GaN grating-gate structures are an excellent
system for the basic studies of the 2D plasmon resonances in
THz frequency range [1, 2]. GaN-based plasmonic devices
integrated with metal gratings have already demonstrated
great potential for plasmon-assisted THz radiation detection
[3] and emission [4].
Our recent magnetooptics and magnetotransport studies
[5] of similar AlGaN/GaN grating-gate structures allowed us
to obtain new information about plasmons in AlGaN/GaN
system and GaN itself (particularly, the spin-orbit splitting of
the conduction band). In the current work, we extend the
research, demonstrating the gate voltage dependence of THz
transmission spectra revealing the plasmon resonances. The
high robustness of AlGaN/GaN semiconductor
heterostructures and the high quality of the fabricated grating-
gate electrodes allow us to study the different plasmon modes:
both above and far below the threshold voltage.
II. SAMPLES AND METHODS
AlGaN/GaN heterostructures were obtained from the
“SweGaN” company. They were grown on a 4” diameter,
500-μm-thick semi-insulating SiC substrate. The
Fig. 1. Schematic illustration of AlGaN/GaN plasmonic structure made
in the FET geometry integrated with grating gate coupler, where period
P = 1 µm, gated region length L = 0.5 µm, and ungated region length S =
0.5 µm.
semiconductor stack consisted of a 2.4-nm GaN cap, a
20.5-nm Al0.25Ga0.75N barrier, and a 255-nm GaN channel
grown directly on AlN nuclear layer on SiC. In order to
fabricate the plasmonic structures (schematically illustrated in
Fig.1) we processed GaN-based heterostructures following
the procedure reported in Ref. [5]. Special attention was paid
to the quality of the ohmic (source and drain) contacts to
2DEG channel and Schottky contact (grating gate coupler).
Ohmic contacts were epitaxially regrown as it was proposed
in Ref. [6], minimizing the ohmic contact resistance to
0.30 ± 0.05 Ω·mm. It is extremely important to keep
negligible gate leakage current for large area 2x2 mm2 grating
gate structures. The technology developed for Schottky
contacts allowed us to reach the gate leakage current density
as low as JGS ~ 10-6 A/cm-2. The grating gate electrode was
patterned by e-beam lithography, followed by the thermal
metal deposition, and the metal lift-off. The fabricated grating
gate has the following parameters: period P = 1 µm, gated
region length L = 0.5 µm, and ungated region length S = 0.5
µm.

978-83-956020-3-0 ©2022
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MIKON-2022,Gdańsk, Poland

Fig. 2. THz transmission spectra of the grating-gate structure
measured at different gate voltage biasing Vg at T=10K.
The THz transmission spectra were investigated by far-
infrared spectroscopy measured by a Bruker 80v vacuum
spectrometer integrated with the liquid helium cryostat.
III. RESULTS
Figure 2 illustrates the THz transmission spectra of the
grating gate structure measured at different gate voltages
(measured at 10K). High-quality GaN-based grating gate
structures with low gate leakage current allow us to study 2D
plasmons in a wide range of 2DEG density (applied gate
voltage) even far below the threshold voltage (Vth = -2.85V).
Measured spectra above and below the threshold voltage
reveal the plasmon resonances.
It is worth to mention the good repeatability of all
measured spectra. We did not observe any effects related to
the defect states and traps in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure
changing the dc bias of the grating electrode. Previous
experiments confirm that GaN-based HEMTs have the trap
density of the same order of magnitude as that reported in Si
MOSFETs with a high-k dielectric [7].
THz spectroscopy was supported by the rigorous
electrodynamic simulation which allows us to understand the
peculiarities of the transmission spectra renormalization. This
method is developed in Ref. [8]. In the range of |Vg| < |Vth|, we
observed multiple resonant structures of the transmission
spectra that attributes to the excitation of 2D-plasmons modes
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of different order in the 2DEG channel with a weak
modulation of the lateral profile of electron concentration. In
the range of upper-threshold voltages (Vg < -3.5 V) total
depletion of the gated region of 2DEG occurs and specific
2DEG-strip grating is formed. As a result, we observed a
single resonance attributed to the excitation of grating mode
in the 2DEG-strip grating. We demonstrated that an increase
in the voltage amplitude leads to the essential blue shift of this
resonance. It was explained by the effect of the additional
depletion of the ungated region.
CONCLUSIONS
Gate voltage tunable THz 2D plasmons in AlGaN/GaN
grating gate structures were experimentally investigated.
High-quality AlGaN/GaN structure allowed us to effectively
control the 2DEG density under the large area grating gate
couplers. As a result – gate voltage tunability of the plasmon
frequency was demonstrated in a wide biasing range: above
and far below the threshold voltage. These results show the
perspective of the AlGaN/GaN grating gate structures for
terahertz electronic and quasi-optic devices.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The work was supported by CENTERA Laboratories in
frame of the International Research Agendas program for the
Foundation for Polish Sciences co-financed by the European
Union under the European Regional Development Fund (No.
MAB/2018/9). The partial support by the National Science
Centre, Poland, allocated on the basis of Grant No.
2019/35/N/ST7/00203. We also acknowledge
Yu. M. Lyaschuk and V. V. Korotyeyev for many helpful
discussions and the theoretical calculations of the THz spectra.
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