LAUSR

Abstract This paper presents a detailed investigation of the degradation of two (Pt/Au)–Al0.2Ga0.8N/GaN/Al2O3 high-electron-mobility transistor(HEMT) structures, denoted as HEMT1 and HEMT2, by capacitance–voltage (C–V), forward current–voltage (I–V), and capacitance deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS)measurements in the temperature range of 40–320K. The C–V measurements confirmed the Fermi level pinning in our structures. In addition, the C–V measurements showed abnormal behaviors such as residual capacitance variation, capacitance hysteresis, and pinch-off voltage shift. These parasitic effects are explained by the thermal activation of trap centers in the Al0.2Ga0.8N/GaN/Al2O3 HEMTs. Moreover, the consideration of the various current transport mechanisms and numerical adjustments of forward I–V curves showthat the tunnel effect assisted by defects is preponderant in our structures. Using the DLTS technique, we verified the existence of two hole traps, H1 and H2, in HEMT1 and HEMT2,respectively.They extended from the GaN layer to the (Pt/Au)–AlGaN interface.A detailed analysis of these results is presented.