600 V GaN HEMT on 6-inch Si substrate using Au-free Si-LSI process for power applications

In this paper, we describe 600 V GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) technologies on a 6-inch Si substrate using an Au-free Si-LSI mass production line. Metal insulator semiconductor (MIS) HEMTs were fabricated using AlN as a gate insulator. The AlN layer was deposited by thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) method using the mass-production-type vertical reactor which was capable for over 100 wafer depositions per run. High-temperature breakdown voltage of over 600 V was confirmed. Uniform static on-resistance (RON) across a 6-inch wafer was demonstrated using the AlN based gate insulator. Stable dynamic RON characteristics till 600 V were also verified using packaged GaN HEMT devices, suggesting that GaN on Si technology in this study is ready for manufacturing. Power factor control (PFC) circuit board operation was also demonstrated at high frequency up to 1 MHz.