Improved dc characteristics of AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors on AlN/sapphire templates

High-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) have been demonstrated on both AlN/sapphire templates and sapphire substrates, and the dc characteristics of the fabricated devices were examined at room temperature. Better dc characteristics with high extrinsic transconductances and drain current densities were observed in the HEMTs grown on AlN/sapphire templates when compared with the HEMTs on sapphire substrates. Extrinsic transconductances of 214 and 137 mS/mm for $W_g{\mathrm{/L}}_g\text{=15/2\hspace{0.17em}μ}\mathrm{m}$ HEMTs on AlN/sapphire templates and HEMTs on sapphire substrates were achieved, respectively. The enhancement of dc characteristics with small variations in threshold voltage $\text{(⩽130\hspace{0.17em}}\mathrm{mV})$ is due to the reduction of dislocation density ${\text{(1.5×10}}^8\hspace{0.17em}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\text{−2}}\mathrm{).}$ The decrease of dark spot density has been confirmed in the GaN grown on AlN/sapphire templates using cathodoluminescence measurements. The advantage of using AlN/sapphire templates is that low dislocation density GaN layers at a high temperature can be grown without using low-temperature-grown GaN buffer layers.