Current conduction mechanisms of RF-Magnetron sputtered Y2O3 gate oxide on gallium nitride

• Current conduction mechanisms are investigated for Y2O3/GaN structure.
• Change of conduction mechanisms is dependent on annealing temperature.
• The dominance of conduction mechanisms are influenced by electric field.
• Measurement temperature is affecting the governing conduction mechanisms.

Current conduction mechanisms through as-deposited and post-deposition annealed (200–800 °C) RF-magnetron sputtered Y2O3 gate oxides on n-type GaN have been systematically investigated with current–voltage measurements at temperature in the range of 25–175 °C. The possible current conduction mechanisms that govern the leakage current of Y2O3/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor test structure are space-charge-limited conduction, Schottky emission, Poole–Frenkel emission, and Fowler-Nordheim tunneling. The dominance of these conduction mechanisms is depending on applied electric field and measurement temperatures.