RF Breakdown and Large-Signal Modeling of AlGaN/GaN HFET's

HFET's fabricated from nitride-based wide bandgap semiconductors can produce RF output power greater than an order of magnitude compared to devices fabricated from traditional semiconductors such as GaAs and InP. Nitride-based HFET's can support drain bias voltages in the range of 40-50 V, and have been biased as high as 120 V using device designs that make use of field-plate technology. However, the RF power produced by these devices is still limited by breakdown phenomena. Breakdown can occur at the gate electrode on the drain side due to a tunnel leakage mechanism, and by RF breakdown in the conducting channel. In this work it is demonstrated that RF breakdown in the conducting channel is the primary mechanism limiting the RF power performance of these devices. Gate leakage current under RF drive produces reliability degradation. A new large signal model that includes RF breakdown is proposed, and it is demonstrated that the new model produces excellent agreement with experimental data

[1]  U. Mishra,et al.  30-W/mm GaN HEMTs by field plate optimization , 2004, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[2]  Y. Nashimoto,et al.  Novel high power AlGaAs/GaAs HFET with a field-modulating plate operated at 35 V drain voltage , 1998, International Electron Devices Meeting 1998. Technical Digest (Cat. No.98CH36217).

[3]  Robert J. Trew,et al.  Principles of Large-Signal MESFET Operation , 1994, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[4]  R. Gaddi,et al.  Electroluminescence analysis of HFET's breakdown , 1999, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[5]  M.J. Poulton,et al.  High Power, High Efficiency, AlGaN/GaN HEMT Technology for Wireless Base Station Applications , 2005, IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2005..

[6]  B. Knappenberger,et al.  A high power density 26 V GaAs pHEMT technology , 2004, 2004 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37535).

[7]  R. Vetury,et al.  Nonlinear source resistance in high-voltage microwave AlGaN/GaN HFETs , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[8]  Roberto Menozzi,et al.  Hot electron effects on Al/sub 0.25/Ga/sub 0.75/As/GaAs power HFET's under off-state and on-state electrical stress conditions , 2000 .

[9]  Robert J. Trew,et al.  SiC and GaN transistors - is there one winner for microwave power applications? , 2002, Proc. IEEE.

[10]  K. Matsunaga,et al.  A GaAs-based field-modulating plate HFET with improved WCDMA peak-output-power characteristics , 2003 .

[11]  K. Kunihiro,et al.  Experimental evaluation of impact ionization coefficients in GaN , 1999, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[12]  M. Gupta.  Detection of avalanching in submicrometer field-effect devices , 1987, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[13]  G. Bilbro,et al.  Space-Charge Limited Current and Nonlinear Source Resistance in Microwave AlGaN/GaN HFET's , 2006, 2006 International Conference on Microwaves, Radar & Wireless Communications.

[14]  R. Trew,et al.  Gate breakdown in MESFETs and HEMTs , 1991, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[15]  S. Keller,et al.  High-power AlGaN/GaN HEMTs for Ka-band applications , 2005, IEEE Electron Device Letters.