High current ultrawide bandgap AlGaN pin diodes with low on-resistance and UVC emission

D Debaditya Bhattacharya (School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University 1 , Ithaca, New York 14853,) S Shivali Agrawal (R.F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University 2 , Ithaca, New York 14853,) H Hsin-Wei S. Huang (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University 1 , Ithaca, New York 14853,) M Madhav Ramesh (School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University 1 , Ithaca, New York 14853,) V Vladimir Protasenko (School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University 1 , Ithaca, New York 14853,) H Huili Grace Xing (Institute of Materials and Systems for Sustainability, Nagoya University 1 , Nagoya 464-8601,) D Debdeep Jena (School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University 2 , Ithaca, New York 14853,)

Abstract

We report ultrawide-bandgap AlGaN pin diodes with high forward current density and deep-ultraviolet (DUV) electroluminescence signaling efficient carrier injection. The devices incorporate a 100 nm unintentionally doped intrinsic layer between polarization-doped n- and p-type regions, grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on bulk AlN substrates. Electrical characterization reveals current densities up to ∼28 kA/cm2, differential on-resistances below 1 mΩ cm2, ideality factors approaching 1.7, and a cutoff frequency fco = (2πRonCoff)−1 = 30.8 GHz. Capacitance–voltage measurements confirm a reduced junction capacitance relative to a pn diode without the i-layer, while electroluminescence shows ultraviolet emission at 248 nm from the polarization-doped regions. These results establish AlGaN pin diodes as a promising platform for high-speed, high-voltage, and DUV optoelectronic devices, offering a scalable approach to next-generation ultrawide-bandgap electronics and photonics.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 140, Issue 6
Published August 14, 2026
ISSN 0021-8979
Publisher American Institute of Physics

Journal Info

Journal of Applied Physics

American Institute of Physics

ISSN: 0021-8979 Physical Sciences

Authors (7)

D

Debaditya Bhattacharya

School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University 1 , Ithaca, New York 14853,

S

Shivali Agrawal

R.F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University 2 , Ithaca, New York 14853,

H

Hsin-Wei S. Huang

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University 1 , Ithaca, New York 14853,

M

Madhav Ramesh

School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University 1 , Ithaca, New York 14853,

V

Vladimir Protasenko

School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University 1 , Ithaca, New York 14853,

H

Huili Grace Xing

Institute of Materials and Systems for Sustainability, Nagoya University 1 , Nagoya 464-8601,

D

Debdeep Jena

School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University 2 , Ithaca, New York 14853,