研究目的
Investigating the degradation and failure mechanisms of GaN/AlGaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) at off-state through real-time visualization inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM).
研究成果
The study demonstrates the feasibility of monitoring dimensional and microstructural aspects of electronic devices in real-time inside a TEM, connecting these observations to device performance and reliability. The 'seeing while measuring' approach can pinpoint dominant failure mechanisms and their fundamental origin, though further work is needed to make the technique meaningful for the reliability physics community.
研究不足
The experimental methods need improvement for minimum contamination from specimen preparation and handling. The modified boundary conditions of an electron transparent specimen must be scaled to the standard device geometry through rigorous modeling and experimentation. Care should be taken to avoid the electron beam effect on the operation of the electronic devices.
1：Experimental Design and Method Selection:
The study involves operating electron transparent AlGaN/GaN HEMTs inside a TEM to visualize and characterize the lattice defects and diffusion of elements during transistor failure. Bright-field, diffraction, and energy dispersive spectroscopy techniques are employed.
2：Sample Selection and Data Sources:
The devices used were 6 W, 18 GHz, and 40 V rated depletion mode GaN HEMTs on silicon-carbide. Electron transparent thin section transistor specimens were prepared from the dies.
3：List of Experimental Equipment and Materials:
FEI? Talos F200X TEM with a 0.12 nm resolution, Keithley 2400 semiconductor parametric analyzer, and a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) chip equipped with mechanical actuators, heaters, and electrodes.
4：12 nm resolution, Keithley 2400 semiconductor parametric analyzer, and a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) chip equipped with mechanical actuators, heaters, and electrodes.
Experimental Procedures and Operational Workflow:
4. Experimental Procedures and Operational Workflow: The specimens were mounted on a MEMS chip and then onto a TEM specimen holder with electrical biasing capability. In-situ TEM experiments were performed at 200 kV, minimizing electron beam exposure.
5：Data Analysis Methods:
The study utilized bright-field TEM imaging, electron diffraction, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy for data analysis.
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