Improvement of DC, low frequency and reliability properties of InAlAs/InGaAs InP-based HEMTs by means of an InP etch stop layer

In this paper we report on the elimination of the kink effect and of the hot-electron degradation in InP-based HEMTs which results from the insertion of an InP etch stop layer on top of the InAlAs donor layer. We attribute this improvement to the passivation, by means of InP, of deep levels on the surface of the InAlAs, as demonstrated by transconductance frequency dispersion measurements.