Light-triggered 2D electron gas in a GaN-based HEMT with sandwiched p-GaN layers

In this work, a p-n junction-coupled metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) normally-off high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) UVPD is proposed. A two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the AlN/U-GaN interface is entirely depleted with a dark current of 1.97 × 10^-11 A because of the design of the sandwiched p-GaN layers. Under 365 nm illumination, the 2DEG is light triggered at V_ds = 1 V with a high light on/off ratio of over 10⁷ at a light power density of 286.39 mW·cm^-2. Meanwhile, it exhibits fast rise and decay times of 248.39 and 584.79 µs, respectively. Moreover, a maximum responsivity (R) of 2.33 A/W, a maximum EQE of 793%, and a D* of 1.08 × 10¹³ Jones are obtained at V_ds = 1 V. This can be attributed to the built-in electric fields in the configuration, which accelerate the flow of photogenerated carriers into the AlN/U-GaN channel. Additionally, the device showcases stable durability, repeatability, and a low driving voltage, making it highly suitable for applications in UV communication and space exploration.