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Transactions on Engineering and Computing Sciences - Vol. 11, No. 5
Publication Date: October 25, 2023
DOI:10.14738/tecs.115.15831.
Chanana, R. K. (2023). Can an Efficient Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Device be Made from Aluminium Nitride Ultra-Wide Bandgap
Semiconductor? Transactions on Engineering and Computing Sciences, 11(5). 109-110.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Can an Efficient Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Device be Made from
Aluminium Nitride Ultra-Wide Bandgap Semiconductor?
Ravi Kumar Chanana
Self-Employed Independent Researcher, Gr. Noida-201310, India
ABSTRACT
The question of whether one can make an efficient metal-oxide-semiconductor
(MOS) device using wurtzite Aluminium Nitride semiconductor is answered in this
short communication.
Keywords: Mass-Energy equivalence, MOS device, AlN, Tunnelling
SHORT COMMUNICATION
The answer to the above question is NO. The answer is based on the theoretical calculation of
the conduction band (CB) and valence band (VB) offsets at the silicon dioxide/AlN
semiconductor interface by utilizing the universal mass-energy equivalence relation
discovered by the author recently given as dE/E = dm/m. Here, dE is the differential potential
energy from the intrinsic Fermi energy level Ei in the semiconductor to the semiconductor CB,
E is the semiconductor bandgap as the total potential energy of the electrons, dm is the
differential mass as the longitudinal electron effective mass in the materials, and m is the free
electron mass [1-5]. The experimental bandgap of wurtzite AlN is found to be 6.28 eV and the
longitudinal electron effective mass is about 0.33m [6]. These two parameters with E as 6.28
eV and dm/m as 0.33 when substituted in the above mass-energy relation give the position of
the intrinsic Fermi energy level Ei in the semiconductor as dE to be equal to 6.28 x 0.33 = 2.07
eV below the AlN CB. This Ei will align to the Ei in SiO2 due to charge neutrality. Ei in SiO2 is 3.75
eV from its CB given that the dm/m for SiO2 is 0.42 and the oxide bandgap E is 8.93 eV giving
dE as 8.93 x 0.42 =3.75 eV in the oxide. Since the Ei in AlN and SiO2 are aligned due to charge
neutrality, the CB offset at the oxide/AlN interface will be 3.75-2.07 = 1.68 eV. The VB offset will
be 8.93-1.68-6.28 = 0.97 eV. Thus, the CB offset and the VB offset at the oxide/semiconductor
interface are 1.68 eV and 0.97 eV. These band offsets are very small and will produce large
electron and hole Fowler-Nordheim tunnelling leakage currents in the metal-oxide- semiconductor (MOS) device. Therefore, an efficient MOS device on AlN semiconductor will not
be possible. Perhaps a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) is more feasible.
Recently, the author has published a generalized MIS characterization technique of finding
band offsets and effective mass in a metal-insulator-semiconductor device which is simple and
accurate, and utilizes only electrons in place of photons [7]. The above discussion forms part of
this technique. There is a small technical error in this publication in the equations (7) and (8)
that needs to be corrected. The units of these two equations should be square of the unit of
MV/cm. This error however does not affect the calculations of band offsets at the
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Transactions on Engineering and Computing Sciences Vol 11, Issue 5, October - 2023
(TECS)
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
oxide/semiconductor interface of the 4H-SiC MOS device and the effective masses in the oxide
which are correct.
References
[1]. R.K. Chanana, Linear model for the variation of semiconductor bandgap with high temperature for high
temperature electronics, IOSR-J. Electrical and Electronics Engg., 2021. 16(6), p. 5-8.
[2]. R.K. Chanana, Universal mass-energy equivalence for relativistic masses, International J. Engg. And Sc.
Invention, 2023, 12(3), p. 35-36.
[3]. R.K. Chanana, Theoretical finding of the properties of a Si (100) MOS device, IOSR-J. Applied Physics, 2022.
14(3), p. 5-6.
[4]. R.K. Chanana, N-channel 4H-SiC MOSFET device on (112̅0) oriented epitaxial surface, IOSR-J. Electrical and
Electronics Engineering, 2022. 17(3), p. 20-22.
[5]. R.K. Chanana, Discussion on the electron and hole effective masses in thermal silicon dioxide, J. Materials
Science and Engg. A, 2023, 13(4-6), p. 30-34.
[6]. C. Persson, A. Ferreira da Silva, R. Ahuja, B. Johansson, Effective electronic masses in wurtzite and
zincblende GaN and AlN, Journal of Crystal Growth, 2001. 231, p. 397-406.
[7]. R.K. Chanana, Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor Characterization by Fowler-Nordheim Carrier Tunnelling
Currents through MOS Devices, Transactions on Engineering and Computing Sciences, 2023. 11(5), p. 45-
50.