Electrical characteristics of magnesium-doped gallium nitride junction diodes

Electrical characteristics of lateral $p^{+}n$ diodes made from gallium nitride epitaxial layers on sapphire substrates are reported. The current–voltage characteristics are observed to have several distinct regions in which a tunneling current has been identified at low forward bias in addition to the conventional temperature-dependent diffusion current observed at moderate forward bias. A tunneling behavior indicates the presence of deep-level traps at the junction, which alter the electrical behavior of these junctions compared to the conventional behavior. In addition, space-charge-limited currents are found to influence these junctions at large forward and reverse bias.