AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) are emerging as next-generation semiconductors optimized for high-power and high-frequency applications, with their performance highly dependent on the surface and interface quality of the AlGaN/GaN structure. In particular, the 2-Dimensional Electron Gas (2DEG) formed in the AlGaN layer is susceptible to trapping by surface defects, which degrades electrical characteristics and makes the device vulnerable to degradation. In this study, we propose an approach to enhance device reliability and performance by forming a gallium oxynitride (GaON) interfacial layer through O₂ plasma treatment on the AlGaN surface. This method effectively suppresses interface defects, resulting in improved electrical properties such as reduced interface trap density (Dit), threshold voltage (Vth) shift, increased drain current density (Id), and enhanced transconductance density (gm). Furthermore, this surface treatment demonstrates the potential for process simplification by improving the electrical characteristics of power semiconductor devices without the need for complex deposition steps.

In this study, a patterning method using self-aligned nanostructures was introduced to fabricate GaN-based fin-gate HEMTs with normally-off operation, as opposed to high-cost, low-productivity e-beam lithography. The honeycomb-shaped fin-gate channel width is approximately 40~50 nm, which is manufactured with a fine width using a proposed method to obtain sufficient fringing field effect. As a result, the threshold voltage of the fabricated device is 0.6 V, and the maximum normalized drain current and transconductance of Gm are 136.4 mA/mm and 99.4 mS/mm, respectively. The fabricated devices exhibit a smaller sub-threshold swing and higher Gm peak compared to conventional planar devices, due to the fin structure of the honeycomb channel.