150-GHz Cutoff Frequencies and 2-W/mm Output Power at 40 GHz in a Millimeter-Wave AlGaN/GaN HEMT Technology on Silicon

• Published in: IEEE electron device letters 2012-10, Vol.33 (10), p.1372-1374
• Main Authors: Marti, D., Tirelli, S., Alt, A. R., Roberts, J., Bolognesi, C. R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AlGaN/GaN on Si; Aluminum gallium nitride; Applied sciences; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electronic equipment and fabrication. Passive components, printed wiring boards, connectics; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Gallium nitride; HEMTs; high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs); large signal; load-pull characterization; Logic gates; Performance evaluation; Power electronics, power supplies; Power generation; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Silicon; Transistors
• ISSN: 0741-3106; 1558-0563
• DOI: 10.1109/LED.2012.2204855

We report a new generation of high-performance AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) grown on high-resistivity Si (111) substrates. We map out small- and large-signal device performances against technological parameters such as the gate length and the source-drain contact separation. We report the first large-signal performance for a GaN-on-Si technology offering an output power of 2 W/mm and an associated peak power-added efficiency of 13.8% (peak of 18.5%) at 40 GHz without any field plate. The technology offers measured transconductances of up to 540 mS/mm and cutoff frequencies as high as f T / f MAX = 152/149 GHz at a given bias point. These are the highest cutoff frequencies to date for fully passivated AlGaN/GaN HEMTs on silicon substrates. The results confirm GaN-on-Si technology as a promising contender for low-cost millimeter-wave power electronic applications.