Designing process and analysis of a new SOI-MESFET structure with enhanced DC and RF characteristics for high-frequency and high-power applications

• Published in: PloS one 2024-04, Vol.19 (4), p.e0301980-e0301980
• Main Authors: Ghiasi, Ahmad, Nkenyereye, Lewis, Hazzazi, Fawwaz, Chaudhary, Muhammad Akmal, Assaad, Maher, Rezaei, Abbas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Design and construction; Electric Conductivity; Electric fields; Electric Power Supplies; Electric properties; Equipment Design; Innovations; Materials; Metals - chemistry; Properties; Semiconductors; Signal processing; Silicon; Silicon - chemistry; Transistors; Transistors, Electronic
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301980

This research introduces a new designing process and analysis of an innovative Silicon-on-Insulator Metal-Semiconductor Field-Effect (SOI MESFET) structure that demonstrates improved DC and RF characteristics. The design incorporates several modifications to control and reduce the electric field concentration within the channel. These modifications include relocating the transistor channel to sub-regions near the source and drain, adjusting the position of the gate electrode closer to the source, introducing an aluminum layer beneath the channel, and integrating an oxide layer adjacent to the gate. The results show that the AlOx-MESFET configuration exhibits a remarkable increase of 128% in breakdown voltage and 156% in peak power. Furthermore, due to enhanced conductivity and a significant reduction in gate-drain capacitance, there is a notable improvement of 53% in the cut-off frequency and a 28% increase in the maximum oscillation frequency. Additionally, the current gain experiences a boost of 15%. The improved breakdown voltage and peak power make it suitable for applications requiring robust performance under high voltage and power conditions. The increased maximum oscillation frequency and cut-off frequency make it ideal for high-frequency applications where fast signal processing is crucial. Moreover, the enhanced current gain ensures efficient amplification of signals. The introduced SOI MESFET structure with its modifications offers significant improvements in various performance metrics. It provides high oscillation frequency, better breakdown voltage and good cut-off frequency, and current gain compared to the traditional designs. These enhancements make it a highly desirable choice for applications that demand high-frequency and high-power capabilities.