The application of polyimide/silicon nitride dual passivation to AlxGa1−xN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

PECVD silicon nitride passivation is quite frequently done at the end of AlGaN/GaN HEMT fabrication before substrate back-side lapping. However, the PECVD silicon nitride process is likely to produce pinholes in the passivation film. A very thick PECVD silicon nitride film may produce mechanical stress on the underlying device. Polyimide passivation has also been known to be effective for AlGaN/GaN HEMT and it can also serve as a stress buffer. However, polyimide can take up water while PECVD silicon nitride is a good diffusion barrier for water, etc. Thus it is expected that a dual PECVD silicon nitride/polyimide passivation will be a better choice than just a single layer of PECVD silicon nitride or polyimide. In this paper, we will demonstrate the application of a dual PECVD silicon nitride/polyimide passivation to AlGaN/GaN HEMT process.