Electron transport characteristics of GaN for high temperature device modeling

Abstract

Monte Carlo simulations of electron transport based upon an analytical representation of the lowest conduction bands of bulk, wurtzite phase GaN are used to develop a set of transport parameters for devices with electron conduction in GaN. Analytic expressions for spherical, nonparabolic conduction band valleys at the Γ, $\mathrm{U,}$ $\mathrm{M,}$ and $K$ symmetry points of the Brillouin zone are matched to experimental effective mass data and to a pseudopotential band structure. The low-field electron drift mobility is calculated for temperatures in the range of 300–600 K and for ionized impurity concentrations between ${10}^{16}$ and ${10}^{18}\hspace{0.17em}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{-3}}.$ Compensation effects on the mobility are also examined. Electron drift velocities for fields up to 500 kV/cm are calculated for the above temperature range. To aid GaN device modeling, the drift mobility dependences on ambient temperature, donor concentration, and compensation ratio are expressed in analytic form with parameters determined from the Monte Carlo results. Analytic forms are also given for the peak drift velocity and for the field at which the velocity peak is reached as functions of temperature.