【Device Papers】Field management in NiOₓ/β-Ga₂O₃ merged-PIN Schottky diodes: simulation studies and experimental validation

      Researchers from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have published a dissertation titled "Field management in NiO_x/β-Ga₂O₃ merged-PIN Schottky diodes: simulation studies and experimental validation" in Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics.

Abstract

      In recent years, p-type NiO_x has emerged as a promising alternative to realize kilovolt-class β-Ga₂O₃-based PN junction diodes. However, only a handful of studies could realize β–Ga₂O₃-based unipolar diodes using NiO_x as a guard ring or floating rings. In this work, we investigate the device design of NiO_x/β-Ga₂O₃ unipolar diodes using the technology computer aided design simulations and experimental validations. We show that a systematic electric field management approach can potentially lead to NiO_x/β-Ga₂O₃ heterojunction unipolar diode and offer enhanced breakdown characteristics without a severe compromise in the ON-state resistance. Accordingly, the NiO_x/β-Ga₂O₃ heterojunction diode in the merged-PIN Schottky configuration is shown to outperform the regular Schottky diode or junction barrier Schottky diode counterpart. The analysis performed in this work is believed to be valuable in the device design of β-Ga₂O₃-based unipolar diodes that use a different p-type semiconductor candidate as guard rings and floating rings.

DOI： 

doi.org/10.1088/1361-6463/ad632c