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Transferrable AlGaN/GaN High-Electron Mobility Transistors to Arbitrary Substrates via a Two-Dimensional Boron
Michael J Motala1,2, Eric W Blanton3, Albert Hilton3
1Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|April 17, 2020
Summary
Researchers successfully transferred high-performance AlGaN/GaN HEMTs to various substrates using a boron nitride layer. This method avoids device degradation and improves thermal management for flexible electronics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- High-performance thin-film devices enable advancements in flexible and conformal electronics.
- Transferring these devices to arbitrary substrates is crucial for novel manufacturing and applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the mechanical transfer of Aluminum Gallium Nitride/Gallium Nitride (AlGaN/GaN) high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) to diverse substrates.
- To evaluate device performance and thermal characteristics post-transfer.
- To explore the impact of different bonding methods and interlayers on device integrity and efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a two-dimensional boron nitride (BN) release layer for device transfer.
- Employed direct van der Waals bonding and a polymer adhesive interlayer (benzocyclobutene - BCB).
- Transferred AlGaN/GaN HEMTs onto silicon carbide (SiC), Kapton, and ceramic film substrates.
- Characterized device performance and temperature under operational load.
Main Results:
- Successfully transferred AlGaN/GaN HEMTs without observed degradation.
- Direct bonding to SiC significantly reduced device temperature (327 °C to 132 °C at 600 mW).
- Transfer to Kapton and ceramic films using BCB interlayer was achieved.
- Optimizing BCB interlayer thickness allowed transferred devices on SiC to match the thermal performance of as-grown wafers.
Conclusions:
- Mechanical transfer using BN is a viable method for integrating high-performance AlGaN/GaN HEMTs onto arbitrary substrates.
- Direct bonding offers superior thermal management, while polymer interlayers facilitate transfer to flexible and diverse materials.
- Optimizing interlayer properties is key to maintaining or improving device performance after transfer, enabling advanced flexible electronic applications.
