A novel p+n n+ GaAs/Al0.30Ga0.70As/GaAs double heterojunction diode for high-temperature electronic applications

Mesa-isolated, p+nn+, GaAs/Al0.30Ga0.70 As/GaAs, double heterojunction diodes are reported which have excellent electrical characteristics over the full temperature range from 23 to 400 °C. These devices have diode law ideality factors of approximately 1.1 at any temperature for forward current densities greater than 10−3 A/cm2 and have reverse leakage current densities of 4×10−10 A/cm2 at 23 °C and 2×10−2 A/cm2 at 400 °C. AlxGa1−x As is used only in critical device regions to ensure that GaAs heterojunction contacts are made to the wider band-gap materials and to allow the chemically reactive AlxGa1−x As to be encapsulated by GaAs. These results demonstrate that the GaAs/AlxGa1−x As chemical system is a good materials candidate in which to base a technology for electronic components operated at high temperatures.