Assessing the Figures of Merit of Graphene-Based Radio Frequency Electronics: A Review of GFET in RF Technology

Abstract

Graphene has been extensively investigated in the context of electronic components due to its attractive properties, such as high carrier mobility and saturation velocity. In the past decade, the graphene field-effect transistor (GFET) has been considered one of the potential devices to be used in future radio frequency (RF) applications and can help usher in the Internet of Things and the 5G communication network. This review presents recent developments of GFETs in RF applications with a focus on components such as amplifiers, frequency multipliers, phase shifters, mixers, and oscillators. Initially, the figures of merit (FoMs) for the GFET are briefly described to understand how they affect these RF components. Subsequently, the FoMs of GFET-based RF components are compared with other non-GFET-based RF components. It is found that, due to its zero-band gap and ambipolar characteristics, GFETs are more suitable for use in frequency multiplier and phase shifter applications, outperforming non-GFET-based RF components. Finally, future research on GFETs themselves as well as GFET-based RF components is recommended. This review provides valuable insights into such components that could give rise to innovative applications in industry.

Amplitude-Phase Variation in a Graphene-Based Microstrip Line

“…The variation in the amplitude in this case is 0.42 dB. This results in a figure of merit of 54.76 °/dB, which is comparable to the current state of the art phase shifters reported in Table 2 [ 16 ]. The frequency bandwidth of the phase shifter presented here is better than most of the graphene-based phase shifters.…”

Exploiting Ambipolarity in Graphene Field‐Effect Transistors for Novel Designs on High‐Frequency Analog Electronics

“…These exceptional transport properties have made graphene-based devices already competitive with state-of-the-art analog HF technologies, [2] as evidenced by two main figures of merit related to the performance of HF transistors: the cut-off frequency, f T , and the maximum frequency of oscillation, f max . These frequencies set intrinsic upper limits to the operation of single de-embedded transistor-based amplifiers, according to two distinct drops in the gain: f T and f max are, respectively, the frequencies at which the current gain and power gain fall to unity.…”

“…[27] More advanced applications, directly raised by the graphene capability of frequency doubling, were rapidly conceived in terms of resistive subharmonic mixing, [28][29][30][31][32][33] which were lately demonstrated to be on par with state-of-theart performance. [2,[34][35][36] A very particular application of GFET ambipolarity was demonstrated by Yang et al in the form of a phase detector [37] by producing a DC output signal proportional to the phase difference of sinusoidal and square waves fed in the GFET gate terminal, while operating, again, at the vertex of the I-V parabola. Also exploiting the frequency doubling feature, the operation of frequency triplers [38] and quadruplers [39] has been demonstrated by cascading two GFETs to produce W-shaped transfer characteristics.…”

“…Graphene is the most remarkable and striking member in the realm of 2D materials. Just after its discovery, it was postulated as an optimal candidate for high‐frequency (HF) electronic applications, thanks to its ultrahigh, both, carrier mobility and saturation velocity, [ 1 ] which are physically rooted to the massless‐Dirac‐fermions nature of the carriers on its distinctive band‐structure.These exceptional transport properties have made graphene‐based devices already competitive with state‐of‐the‐art analog HF technologies, [ 2 ] as evidenced by two main figures of merit related to the performance of HF transistors: the cut‐off frequency, f T , and the maximum frequency of oscillation, f max . These frequencies set intrinsic upper limits to the operation of single de‐embedded transistor‐based amplifiers, according to two distinct drops in the gain: f T and f max are, respectively, the frequencies at which the current gain and power gain fall to unity.…”

Modelos De Microondas Para Dispositivos Ambipolares De Grafeno

“…Estas herramientas pueden ser potencialmente utilizadas por estudiantes de ingeniería para explorar la electrónica ambipolar, abriendo la posibilidad de 1) rediseñar y simplificar aplicaciones de microondas convencionales; y 2) buscar nuevas funcionalidades en el ámbito analógico y de alta frecuencia. A este respecto, como ejemplo, presentamos nuevos enfoques para el diseño de multiplicadores de frecuencia, amplificadores de potencia, mezcladores y desfasadores en radiofrecuencia que específicamente aprovechan la ambipolaridad E n el ámbito de los materiales bidimensionales, el grafeno es probablemente el candidato más atractivo para aplicaciones de alta frecuencia (HF, del inglés high frequency) debido a: 1) sus excepcionales propiedades de transporte, ejemplificadas en una velocidad de saturación y una movilidad de los portadores ultra altas (Norhakim et al, 2022;Saeed et al al., 2021) y 2) una ambipolaridad intrínseca exhibida en una característica de transferencia (curva de voltaje de puerta frente a corriente) en forma de V, alrededor del punto de conductividad mínima, es decir, del voltaje de Dirac (Wang et al, 2012).…”