High-Performance Microwave Gate-Recessed AlGaN/AlN/GaN MOS-HEMT With 73% Power-Added Efficiency

• Published in: IEEE electron device letters 2011-05, Vol.32 (5), p.626-628
• Main Authors: Hao, Yue, Yang, Ling, Ma, Xiaohua, Ma, Jigang, Cao, Menyi, Pan, Caiyuan, Wang, Chong, Zhang, Jincheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AlGaN/AlN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor heterostructure high-electron mobility transistor (MOS-HEMT); Aluminum gallium nitride; Aluminum gallium nitrides; Aluminum nitride; Amplifiers; Applied sciences; Circuit properties; Compound structure devices; Devices; Drains; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronic equipment and fabrication. Passive components, printed wiring boards, connectics; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Gallium nitride; Gallium nitrides; gate recessed; Gates; HEMTs; High electron mobility transistors; L-gate field plate; Logic gates; Microwave transistors; MODFETs; power amplifier; Semiconductor devices; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Transistors
• ISSN: 0741-3106; 1558-0563
• DOI: 10.1109/LED.2011.2118736

Gate-recessed AlGaN/AlN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor heterostructure high-mobility transistors (MOS-HEMTs) on SiC substrate are fabricated. The device with a gate length of 0.6 μm and a gate periphery of 100 μm exhibits a maximum dc drain current density of 1.59 A/mm at V GS = 3 V with an extrinsic transconductance (g m ) of 374 mS/mm. An extrinsic current gain cutoff frequency (f T ) of 19 GHz and a maximum oscillation frequency (f max ) of 50 GHz are deduced from S-parameter measurements. The output power density is 13 W/mm, and the associated power-added efficiency is 73% at 4-GHz frequency and 45-V drain bias. The power performance is comparable to state-of-the art AlGaN/GaN HEMTs, which demonstrates the great potential of gate-recessed MOS-HEMTs as a very promising alternative to GaN HEMTs.