Hot-electron energy relaxation time in AlGaN/GaN

The microwave noise technique is used to estimate the hot-electron energy relaxation time in an AlGaN/GaN heterostructure containing a two-dimensional electron gas subjected to a strong electric field applied in the plane of electron confinement. Room-temperature data show that the energy relaxation time decreases monotonously from about 1 ps at 2 kV cm −1 to 0.4 ps at 10 kV cm −1 electric field. The estimated low-field value is 1.4 ps.