<i>In situ</i> nanobeam x-ray diffraction of local strain in AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors under operating condition

A Akihiro Shimada (Graduate School of Engineering Science, The University of Osaka 1 , 1-3 Machikaneyama-Cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531,) H Haruna Shiomi (Graduate School of Engineering Science, The University of Osaka 1 , 1-3 Machikaneyama-Cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531,) T Tetsuya Tohei Y Yusuke Hayashi (National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) , Tsukuba 305-0044,) M Masaya Yamaguchi J Junpei Yamamoto (Division of Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan) T Takeaki Hamachi (Graduate School of Engineering Science, The University of Osaka 1 , 1-3 Machikaneyama-Cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531,) Y Yasuhiko Imai (Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute 2 , Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198,) K Kazushi Sumitani (Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute 2 , Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198,) S Shigeru Kimura (Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute 2 , Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198,) S Shota Kaneki (The Engineering Department, Sumitomo Chemical Company, Ltd 2 ., Chuo-ku 103-6020,) T Tamotsu Hashizume (Research Center for Integrated Quantum Electronics, Hokkaido University 3 , Sapporo 060-8628,) A Akira Sakai

Abstract

We combined the synchrotron radiation nanobeam x-ray diffraction technique with the pump–probe method to perform in situ measurements of local strain in a normally ON AlGaN/GaN metal–oxide–semiconductor high electron mobility transistor device under transistor operation. The c-axis strain in the AlGaN barrier layer within the gate region exhibited a clear position dependence, increasing as the gate voltage was increased in the negative direction and as the measurement position moved from the center of the gate electrode toward the drain-side gate edge. Based on the characteristics of the measured c-axis and a-axis strains, we successfully extracted not only the strain component due to the inverse piezoelectric effect but also the thermal expansion strain component, using the constitutive equation for elastic bodies. From the characteristics of the device current measured simultaneously with the strain measurements, it was revealed that the temperature rise inducing the thermal expansion strain was caused by the transient and steady-state drain currents.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 138, Issue 7
Published August 21, 2025
ISSN 0021-8979
Publisher American Institute of Physics

Journal Info

Journal of Applied Physics

American Institute of Physics

ISSN: 0021-8979 Physical Sciences

Authors (13)

A

Akihiro Shimada

Graduate School of Engineering Science, The University of Osaka 1 , 1-3 Machikaneyama-Cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531,

H

Haruna Shiomi

Graduate School of Engineering Science, The University of Osaka 1 , 1-3 Machikaneyama-Cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531,

T

Tetsuya Tohei

Y

Yusuke Hayashi

National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) , Tsukuba 305-0044,

M

Masaya Yamaguchi

J

Junpei Yamamoto

Division of Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan

T

Takeaki Hamachi

Graduate School of Engineering Science, The University of Osaka 1 , 1-3 Machikaneyama-Cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531,

Y

Yasuhiko Imai

Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute 2 , Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198,

K

Kazushi Sumitani

Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute 2 , Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198,

S

Shigeru Kimura

Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute 2 , Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198,

S

Shota Kaneki

The Engineering Department, Sumitomo Chemical Company, Ltd 2 ., Chuo-ku 103-6020,

T

Tamotsu Hashizume

Research Center for Integrated Quantum Electronics, Hokkaido University 3 , Sapporo 060-8628,

A

Akira Sakai