AlGaN/GaN HEMT With 300-GHz $f_{\max}$

We report on a gate-recessed AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT) on a SiC substrate with a record power-gain cutoff frequency (fmax). To achieve this high fmax, we combined a low-damage gate-recess technology, scaled device geometry, and recessed source/drain ohmic contacts to simultaneously enable minimum short-channel effects (i.e., high output resistance Rds) and very low parasitic resistances. A 60-nm-gate-length HEMT with recessed AlGaN barrier exhibited excellent Rds of 95.7 ?·mm, Ron of 1.1 ~ 1.2 ? · mm, and fmax of 300 GHz, with a breakdown voltage of ~ 20 V. To the authors' knowledge, the obtained fmax is the highest reported to date for any nitride transistor. The accuracy of the fmax value is verified by small signal modeling based on carefully extracted S-parameters.

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