Indium gallium nitride channel high electron mobility transistors, and method of making the same

Abstract

A gallium nitride-based HEMT device, comprising a channel layer formed of an InGaN alloy. Such device may comprise an AlGaN/InGaN heterostructure, e.g., in a structure including a GaN layer, an InGaN layer over the GaN layer, and a (doped or undoped) AlGaN layer over the InGaN layer. Alternatively, the HEMT device of the invention may be fabricated as a device which does not comprise any aluminum-containing layer, e.g., a GaN/InGaN HEMT device or an InGaN/InGaN HEMT device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A gallium nitride-based HEMT device, comprising a channel layer comprising an InGaN alloy and at least one additional layer over said channel layer, wherein said at least one additional layer comprises material selected from the group consisting of GaN and InGaN, and wherein said device does not comprise an aluminum-containing layer. 
     
     
       2. A gallium nitride-based HEMT device, comprising a channel layer comprising an InGaN alloy and at least one additional layer directly over said channel layer, wherein said at least one additional layer comprises GaN material, forming a GaN/InGaN HEMT with the channel layer. 
     
     
       3. A gallium nitride-based HEMT device, comprising a channel layer comprising an InGaN alloy and at least one additional layer directly over said channel layer, wherein said at least one additional layer comprises InGaN material, forming an InGaN/InGaN HEMT with the channel layer. 
     
     
       4. A gallium nitride based HEMT device, comprising a channel layer comprising an InGaN alloy and at least one additional layer over said channel layer, wherein said at least one additional layer comprises Al x Ga 1-x N material, and wherein x is about 0.1, and wherein said Al x Ga 1-x N material is not intentionally doped. 
     
     
       5. A gallium nitride-based HEMT device, comprising:
 a substrate;   a GaN buffer layer on said substrate;   a channel layer on said GaN buffer layer, said channel comprising an InGaN alloy;   at least one additional layer on said channel layer, said at least one additional layer comprising undoped GaN material and forming a GaN space layer; and   a doped GaN doner layer on said GaN spacer layer.   
     
     
       6. A gallium nitride-based HEMT device, comprising:
 a substrate;   a GaN buffer layer on said substrate;   a channel layer on said GaN buffer layer, said channel layer comprising an InGaN alloy;   at least one additional layer on said channel layer, said at least one additional layer comprising undoped InGaN material and forming an InGaN spacer layer; and   a doped InGaN donor layer on said InGaN spacer layer,   wherein said InGaN spacer layer has a lower InN concentration than said channel layer.   
     
     
       7. A gallium nitride based HEMT device, comprising a channel layer comprising an InGaN alloy and at least one additional layer over said channel layer, wherein said at least one additional layer comprises Al x Ga 1-x N material wherein x is about 0.1, and wherein the channel layer has a thickness in a range of from about 100 nanometers to about 5000 nanometers. 
     
     
       8. A gallium nitride based HEMT device, comprising a channel layer comprising an InGaN alloy and at least one additional layer over said channel layer, wherein said at least one additional layer comprises Al x Ga 1-x N material wherein x is about 0.1, and wherein the at least one additional layer further comprises an AlGaN spacer layer between the channel layer and said at least one additional layer. 
     
     
       9. The HEMT device of claim 4, further comprising a GaN layer below said channel layer. 
     
     
       10. The HEMT device of claim 7, wherein said Al x Ga 1-x N material is not intentionally doped. 
     
     
       11. The HEMT device of claim 7, wherein said at least a portion of the Al x Ga 1-x N material is intentionally doped to provide an increased sheet density in relation to a corresponding undoped AlGaN layer. 
     
     
       12. The HEMT device of claim 7, wherein the channel layer has a thickness in a range of from about 200 nanometers to about 2000 nanometers. 
     
     
       13. The HEMT device of claim 7, wherein the channel layer has a thickness in a range of from about 400 nanometers to about 1000 nanometers. 
     
     
       14. The HEMT device of claim 4, further comprising a substrate and a buffer layer on said substrate, wherein said channel layer is disposed over said buffer layer. 
     
     
       15. The HEMT device of claim 7, further comprising a GaN layer below said channel layer. 
     
     
       16. The HEMT device of claim 7, further comprising a substrate and a buffer layer on said substrate, wherein said channel layer is disposed over said buffer layer. 
     
     
       17. The HEMT device of claim 8, further comprising a GaN layer below said channel layer. 
     
     
       18. The HEMT device of claim 8, further comprising a substrate and a buffer layer on said substrate, wherein said channel layer is disposed over said buffer layer.