High-Field Electron Transport in AlGaN alloys: A Full-Band Monte Carlo Study Based on Ab Initio Supercell Calculations

RESUMO

AlGaN alloys are promising wide and ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductors for next-generation power and RF electronics applications. To realize the full potential of AlGaN based devices, it is important to understand the electron transport to accurately predict device performance and identify material limits under various operating conditions. In this work, the high-field electron transport properties of AlxGa1-xN are investigated using a supercell based full band Monte Carlo method. The supercell approach is employed to explicitly capture the true disorder of the alloy system, enabling a more realistic description of carrier transport. The velocity field characteristics are calculated across a range of Al compositions to evaluate key transport metrics, including peak velocity, saturation velocity, and critical electric field. The role of different scattering mechanisms is studied in detail to understand the high field transport mechanism in the AlGaN alloy system. In addition to steady state transport, transient electron dynamics are examined for various Al fractions to study velocity-overshoot behavior, which is especially important for improving the performance of scaled RF devices. Finally, the temperature dependence of the velocity field characteristics in ultra-wide-bandgap Al0.75Ga0.25N is investigated to assess its transport performance under high temperature conditions. These results provide a detailed understanding of high-field transport in AlGaN alloys and offer guidance for the design of AlGaN-based RF and power electronic devices.