The objective of this research is to develop high-performance high-frequency wide-bandgap electronic components with affordable and robust fabrication technology. The approach is to design novel contact schemes and devices utilizing the capacitive coupling between un-annealed electrodes and the 2-dimensional electron gas.
Intellectual merit of the proposed project. (i) Capacitively coupled heterostructures offer a new class of high-performance very high-frequency building blocks with cost-efficient robust alignment-free technology. (ii) Heterostructure devices with capacitive coupling can be made using much wider barrier bandgap materials (e.g. high Al-fraction AlGaN barriers, AlN, BN etc.). This provides a unique opportunity to achieve record high 2D-electron densities and to study the physics of electron transport in such heterostructures. (iii) The physics underlying the proposed devices will advance the knowledge and stimulate new research on switching capacitance and non-linear transmission line effects not found in conventional devices with ohmic contacts.
Broader impact. Wide bandgap technology promises tremendous societal advantages by offering radical improvements in homeland security, communications, sensors and lighting. Yet, it is expensive, energy consuming and involves hazardous materials and processes. The realization of proposed program will make this technology more affordable and harmless. It will stimulate the growth and applications development of novel very large bandgap materials, for which the contact formation remains the major obstacle. The results of proposed work can be extended toward novel high-speed high-temperature logic, memory cells and CCD-devices. New device physics and design along with novel elegant characterization techniques provide an excellent education platform for undergraduate and graduate students.
