Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Trw Limited

Rajinder Randy Sandhu

Michael Edward Barsky

Michael Wojtowicz

An improved HEMT formed from a GaN material system is disclosed which has reduced gate leakage current and eliminates the problem of current constrictions resulting from deposition of the gate metal over the step discontinuities formed over the gate mesa. One or more GaN based materials are layered and etched to form a gate mesa with step discontinuities defining source and drain regions. In order to reduce the leakage current, the step discontinuities are back-filled with an insulating material, such as silicon nitride (SiN), forming a flat surface relative to the source and drain regions, to enable to the gate metal to lay flat. By back-filling the source and drain regions with an insulating material, leakage currents between the gate and source and the gate and drain are greatly reduced. In addition, current constrictions resulting from the deposition of the gate metal over a step discontinuity are virtually eliminated.

Leakage barrier for GaN based HEMT active device

An improved HEMT formed from a GaN material system is disclosed which has reduced gate leakage current relative to known GaN based HEMTs and eliminates the problem of current constrictions resulting from deposition of the gate metal over the step discontinuities formed over the gate mesa. The HEMT device is formed from a GaN material system. One or more GaN based materials are layered and etched to form a gate mesa with step discontinuities defining source and drain regions. In order to reduce the leakage current, the step discontinuities are back-filled with an insulating material, such as silicon nitride (SiN), forming a flat surface relative to the source and drain regions, to enable to the gate metal to lay flat. By back-filling the source and drain regions with an insulating material, leakage currents between the gate and source and the gate and drain are greatly reduced. In addition, current constrictions resulting from the deposition of the gate metal over a step discontinuity are virtually eliminated.

Die of high aspect ratio formed in a hard wafer substrate are sawed out without requiring tape, obtaining high die yields. Preliminary to sawing the semiconductor die () from a sapphire wafer (), the wafer is joined () to a silicon carrier substrate () by a thermoplastic layer () forming a unitary sandwich-like assembly. Sawing the die from the wafer follows. The thermoplastic is removed, and the die may be removed individually () from the silicon carrier substrate. Thermoplastic produces a bond that holds the die in place against the shear force exerted by the saw and by the stream of coolant ().

Hard substrate wafer sawing process

A method for etching GaN material comprising configuring the GaN material as an anode in an electrochemical cell where the electrochemical cell is comprised of an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte, and applying a bias across the anode and the cathode to a level which is sufficient to induce etching of the material. The etch rate of the material is controllable by varying the bias level. The cell is additionally illuminated with a preselected level of UV light which provides for uniformity of the etching process. The present method is particularly useful for etching a GaN HBT from n-p-n GaN material.

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Castaic, CA, United States of America

Rajinder Randy Sandhu