High voltage operation (>80 V) of GaN bipolar junction transistors with low leakage

We have demonstrated the high voltage operation of n-p-n GaN bipolar junction transistors using regrown emitters. Devices were grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on sapphire substrates. The n-type emitter was grown selectively on a base-collector p-n junction diode using a dielectric mask. A thin base (1000 A) was used to increase the current gain over our previous result with a regrown emitter [J. B. Limb, L. McCarthy, P. Kozodoy, H. Xing, J. Ibbetson, Y. Smorchkova, S. P. DenBaars, and U. K. Mishra, Electron. Lett. 35, 19 (1999)]. The base contacts were better than expected despite the use of a thin base. Common emitter operation showing a voltage operation of over 80 V with negligible leakage has been demonstrated. Room temperature current gain was similar to 3 corresponding to a current transfer ratio of similar to 0.75. This results in a calculated minority carrier lifetime of about 80 pS in the base. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)04117-6].