Electrostatic Engineering Using Extreme Permittivity Materials for Ultra-Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Transistors

The performance of ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors like beta-Ga2O3 is critically dependent on achieving high average electric fields within the active region of the device. In this article, we show that dielectrics like BaTiO3 with extremely high dielectric constant can provide an efficient fieldmanagement strategy by improving the uniformity of electric field profile within the gate-drain region of lateral field-effect transistors. Using this strategy, we achieved high average breakdown field of 1.5 and 4 MV/cm at gate-drain spacing (L-gd) of 6 and 0.5 mu m, respectively in beta-Ga2O3, at a high channel sheet charge density of 1.6 x 10(13) cm(-2). The high channel charge density along with the high breakdown field enabled a record power figure of merit (V-br(2)/R-ON) of 376 MW/cm(2) at a gate-drain spacing of 3 mu m.

Automated summary

This article demonstrates that dielectrics like BaTiO3 with extremely high dielectric constant can improve the uniformity of electric field profile within lateral field-effect transistors, leading to high breakdown field and channel charge density in beta-Ga2O3. This strategy enables a record power figure of merit of 376 MW/cm^2 at a gate-drain spacing of 3 μm.