Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods relate to forming an epitaxial layer of aluminum on an aluminum-nitride compound. The aluminum is epitaxially grown on the crystalline aluminum-nitride compound by maintaining temperature of a crystalline aluminum-nitride compound below a cluster-favoring temperature threshold within a vacuum chamber. Then, the crystalline aluminum-nitride compound is exposed to atoms of elemental aluminum for a predetermined time duration. The aluminum is epitaxially grown in this fashion for a predetermined time duration so as to produce a layer of epitaxial aluminum of a predetermined thickness. Such epitaxially-grown mono-crystalline aluminum has a lower resistivity than poly-crystalline aluminum.

Abstract: A high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) heterostructure includes a substrate; a N-polar channel layer; and a N-polar barrier layer positioned between the substrate and the channel layer, wherein the barrier layer comprises a rare-earth III-nitride material. The rare earth III-nitride material can be ScAlN.

Abstract: A method of generating a glow discharge plasma involves providing a pair of electrodes spaced apart by an electrode gap, and having a dielectric disposed in the electrode gap between the electrodes; placing the electrodes within an environment, wherein the electrode gap can be provided with a gas or gas mixture containing carbon at a specified pressure; and applying a rapid rise time voltage pulse across the electrodes to cause an extreme overvoltage condition, wherein the rapid rise time is less than a plasma generation time so that the extreme overvoltage condition occurs prior to current flow across the electrode gap. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A method of generating a glow discharge plasma involves providing a pair of electrodes spaced apart by an electrode gap, and having a dielectric disposed in the electrode gap between the electrodes; placing the electrodes within an environment, wherein the electrode gap can be provided with a gas or gas mixture containing carbon at a specified pressure; and applying a rapid rise time voltage pulse across the electrodes to cause an extreme overvoltage condition, wherein the rapid rise time is less than a plasma generation time so that the extreme overvoltage condition occurs prior to current flow across the electrode gap. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.