High electron mobility transistor ESD protection structures

A device comprising:

• a first Gallium Nitride (GaN) based semiconductor region;
• a second GaN based semiconductor region having a wider band gap than the first GaN based semiconductor region, the second GaN based semiconductor region disposed on the first GaN based semiconductor region wherein a heterojunction is established at an interface between the first GaN based semiconductor region and the second GaN based semiconductor region;
• a first conductor disposed on a first portion of the second GaN based semiconductor region to form a source;
• a second conductor disposed on a second portion of the second GaN based semiconductor region to form a drain;
• a third GaN based semiconductor region disposed on a third portion of the second GaN based semiconductor region proximate the heterojunction between the source and the drain to form a first gate;
• and
• a fourth GaN base semiconductor region disposed on a fourth portion of the second GaN based semiconductor region proximate the heterojunction between the first gate and the drain to form a second gate, wherein the second gate is electrically coupled to the drain to be at the same potential voltage, and wherein a threshold voltage associated with the second gate is equal to or greater than a threshold voltage associated with the first gate.

A device comprising:

• a drain;
• a source;
• a Two-Dimension Electron Gas (2DEG) channel between the drain and the source;
• a first gate disposed proximate the 2DEG channel between the drain and source, wherein the first gate is configured to deplete majority carriers in the 2DEG channel proximate the first gate when a potential applied between the first gate and the source is less than a threshold voltage associated with the first gate;
• a second gate disposed proximate the 2DEC channel between the drain and the first gate, wherein the second gate and drain are electrically coupled to be at the same potential voltage, and wherein the second gate is configured to deplete majority carriers in the 2DEG channel proximate the second gate when a potential applied between the second gate and the 2DEG channel between the second gate and the first gate is less than a threshold voltage associated with the second gate;
• and
• wherein the threshold voltage associated with the second gate is equal to or greater than the threshold voltage associated with the first gate.